A Meeting of Minds

Saturday I had the chance to attend a get together of a group of writers in the local area who also belong to ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers). I’ll admit, I almost bailed for a combination of reasons, the foremost being that I had a rough night with the teething baby the night before and wasn’t sure that I would be awake enough to make the drive and comport myself appropriately once I got there. Regardless, I mustered my courage and off I went.

I had a lovely time. (Isn’t it just the best feeling when you make yourself do something you’re uncertain about and it ends up being fantastic?) The ladies there were all delightful and we had a fun time getting to know one another, talking about what and how we write, and generally just enjoying being around other people who know how it is to have stories living in your head that need to get out.

What it really drove home to me, though, is that while writing can be a solitary undertaking, it doesn’t have to be. There are other people out there doing just what you are, facing the same niggling fears and doubts that you are, and pushing themselves to jump the hurdles as they come. And so while you actually have to be the one to put your fingers on the keyboard (or the pen on the paper as one of the ladies said she writes long hand…my hand cramps just thinking about that!), you’re not along tackling all the other things that make writing challenging.

I’m already looking forward to our next meeting.