Don’t be a lone writer; find others to encourage you!
We recently attended my son’s wedding. The sun shone, the
preparations planned for months came together, and over a hundred family and
friends turned up to wish the couple well.
There will be challenges in their marriage - unexpected bumps in their relationship in addition to the dangerous corners, unexpected turns and emergency stops that we all face in life’s journey but they have warm and generous friends and a wide extended family to draw strength from.
I was tired the following day and spent time catching
up on the TV documentary ‘The Bodyguard’ in which a metropolitan police force
officer trained in anti terrorism but emotionally damaged keeps problems to
himself during a cliff hanging hunt for a terrorist cell. He eventually exposes the culprits but at
considerable risk to his own life and others, which might have been avoided if
he had responded positively to their offers of support.
We writers need to be solitary. Our story is a unique
creation and needs our full concentration, but I find this can be isolating so
I joined the Creative Communicators workshop coordinated by Susanne Irving. The
group helped me through initial difficulties in characterisation and plot,
listened as I read sections aloud, and were interested and encouraging until
finally the novel was completed.
Recently I joined the more local to me ‘M3 corridor writers’
group’ – not the most inspiring name but does what it says! We meet every six
weeks to talk and pray about our writing. The group works differently but with the
same mutual encouragement and interest. They have helped me to think about how
to use social media effectively, critiqued my first blog, and questioned me about
the plot of the next novel. It can painful; sharing my writing makes me feel exposed.
Even though they are kind and positive I can tell from the quality of the listening
whether it is striking a chord or not.
At the wedding I read from Paul's letter to the Colossians
chapter 1 verse 9 ‘We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his
will through all wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you
may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way......’
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It is a long sentence and I had to think carefully about where to breathe! There is a danger in writing that we press on without drawing a metaphorical breath. Words express truth, speak warnings, and shed light on hidden dangers but sometimes
I need the perspective of others and a gentle hand on the wrist!
To join an ACW affiliated group go to
Letitia Mason fell in love
with East and Central Africa while teaching at a harambee school
in Kenya. She has published Lost Children of Cush, a novel of South
Sudan. Tish works for Flame International and lives in Surrey with her husband
and a crazy dog.
www.mariaofsouthsudan.wordpress.com @TishMason1
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