The writing life is a solitary life--Not!

My lifelong friend, Roxanne, and my new friend, Lisa J., at author Susan May Warren's pizza party at the American Christian Fiction Writer's (ACFW)Conference last weekend.


The friendly faces in all these photos are just some of the reasons I disagree with the statement: The writing life is a solitary life.

Oh, sure. I spend lots of time at my computer, alone. As a matter of fact, I'm typing this post at 12:09 AM and I'm the only one up in my house. Yeah, kind of lonely. But it's a productive kind of lonely.





Susie having fun--and her having so much fun with about 75 of her closest friends made me have a lot of fun too! I'm already planning on next year!


Sometimes writing can be so...so serious. It's a business. A calling. A ministry. The weight of the writing world is on your shoulders. Sometimes we just need to get out from underneath the deadlines and have f-u-n!





Gotta' get me a hat!





Me and my friend-who-will-one-day-be-a-bestselling-author, Evangeline, aka "E" or "Da Corruptor." (Don't ask.)


Evangeline likes to give people names. I am "The Evil Editor," which she assures me is a compliment. Yesterday at critique group, that name morphed to Picky Evil Editor, which we realized equaled "PEE." I asked her to go back to "TEE."





Me and Rocky--we had't seen each other in three years. She's the first person I told when I wandered over to the "Dark Side"--meaning, I started writing fiction. I know I would never have lingered this long if it hadn't been for her encouraging me to stay a while.






Me and Paula M. We became friends at a writers conference years ago. Paula and I were "blind date roommates," meaning we were randomly assigned to room together. And Paula brought china tea cups. And a tea pot. And beautiful encouraging Scriptures to place around the room. And I just knew I wanted to be her friend, forever.

The photos and this post will never capture all the fun I had, all the laughter that was shared, in the less than 24 hour period I was at ACFW. But let me leave you with this thought: Along the Writing Road, don't forget to make friends. Lots and lots of friends. It will make the journey all the richer.

Planning a Detour Off the Writing Road

I'm sitting in a smaller than average hotel room enjoying a bit of vacation. It's work for my husband and vacation for me and my two daughters.
Except I brought my writing along with me.
So it doesn't feel exactly like a vacation.
So far today I've plotted out my Work in Progress, letting my twentysomething daughter get in on the process. She's good at it. Of course, I don't know how the book's going to end: happily ever after or mostly-happily ever after? And I'm okay with that little plot question for now.
I've also worked on my assignments doled out by my mentor who is helping me build my author platform. (Rob, if you are reading this post, I hope my work ethic impresses you.) So I've drafted out three online articles and read three chapters in a book.
I updated my late-in-life mom blog and visited a few others to research this post.
And in the midst of this vacation-work, I have come to a conclusion:
I am ready for a real vacation.
I'm traveling the Writing Road and I'm looking for an off-ramp. Not in a desperate "I hate my life" way. No. I just realize it's time for a little R&R.
I'll be a better writer for it.
Writing is too much work and not enough relaxed creativity right now. I am writing and editing because I must, not because I want to.
Sometimes it is more fun to write just because I want to.
In a couple of weeks, I am blessed with a real vacation. Just me, my husband and a beach. I will take no writing assignments with me. No have-tos. I will abandon the Writing Road--for a season--and be a better writer for it.

Another Take on Thomas Nelson's Decisions

It seems like all eyes (in the publishing world, at least) are on Thomas Nelson.
Scoti's most recent post, Finding Good in Bad News, talked about TN's recent decisions to:

• not attend two major trade shows: ICRS and BEA
• cut 10% of their work force
• cutting their list of titles

Lots of folks are weighing in on TN's decision. Just read all the comments on Mike Hyatt's blog.

And, if you'd like to consider one more person's thoughts on all this, check out agent Chip MacGregor's blog. I've known Chip for a few years now and he's someone who is in the know in the publishing world. So, when Chip talks, I listen. It doesn't mean I always agree with him, but I do listen. Chip is a smart guy--and he's an experienced traveler along the Writing Road.

Here's one of Chip's observations about TN's decision to cut their title list:

Mr. Hyatt notes that he wants the company to focus on titles that "are typically written by known authors or from authors who at least have media platforms ..." Authors and agents are worried that means there will be more of a focus on celebrity, and fewer chances for new authors to be discovered and break out.

The reality is, this isn't anything I haven't heard at writers conferences for the past 5 years. To improve your chances of getting published, have a platform or get a platform. It just seems like, for writers wanting to get published by TN, the volume has been turned up on that message.

So, what's a writer to do?

The biggest lesson to learn in all this is that you have to be knowledgeable about what is going in in the writing world. It's not optional. Subscribe to Mike Hyatt's blog. Subscribe to Chip's blog. Subscribe to this blog! We'll keep you posted on what's going on along the Writing Road. And while we're at it, we'll talk about developing a platform in future posts. Becoming a celebrity--well, that's up to you.