Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Thankful for My Writer Pals

I'm thankful for the friends I've made through ACFW, RWA, and About.com. In most jobs, there's an office with a water cooler, coffee station, and break room. Freelance writers and novelists don't have a physical place where we can connect, unless we spend time (and money) at a coffee shop. I like Starbuck's as much as the next person, but I'm not one who can get much done with so many interesting things going on around me.

So I'm happy to have my writer pals to communicate with online and at conferences. Every now and then we're able to find other opportunities to get together in person, but that's not so easy since we're spread out all over the world.

I'm a big fan of all of these writers because they can do something I never will be able to: Tell stories in their unique author voices. Even my agent Tamela Hancock Murray is a writer, and I was a fan of hers long before we became friends and business associates.

I cherish the laughter and tears I've shared with these wonderful friends. It's impossible to read one of Sandie's books without smiling. Julie Pollitt has some wonderful articles online, and one of these days readers will be able to enjoy her fiction as well. Cherie Burbach knows how to be a good friend, and she shares her knowledge with readers through Friendship.About.com. Trish Perry, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, Sandie Bricker, and I enjoyed writing devotions for the Delight Yourself in the Lord...Even on Bad Hair Days collection. Unfortunately, we lost Diann last year after her long battle with cancer. Lena Nelson Dooley has always been an encourager, and (shh, don't tell anyone) we acted like silly teenagers in the Mall of America a few years ago. Martha Rogers, Kathi Macias, and Jenness Walker were my neighbors in the fictional town of Bloomfield. I met Becky Waters (author of Breathing on her Own) when she did a blog interview in Tampa. We hit it off quickly and chatted about all kinds of things not even closely related to our books.

Here are some of the people I've had the good fortune to meet through our writing.

Sandie Bricker and me at a hospital event

Good friend and Web writer Julie Pollitt

Close friend and agent Tamela Hancock Murray

Good friend Cherie Burbach (Friendship Expert with About.com)


Friends and fellow "Bad Hair" authors Trish Perry, Kristin
Billerbeck, me, Diann Hunt, and Sandie Bricker
Bloomfield authors Jenness Walker, me, Kathi Macias, and Martha Rogers

Author and blogger Becky Waters

Pals - Lena Nelson Dooley and Martha Rogers





I have met so many more people whose pictures I can't find in the humongous album in my computer. There's a great one of the "Be Still" authors Loree Lough, Andrea Boeshaar, Sandie Bricker, and me floating around somewhere, but after a long search, I finally gave up. In the future, I'll do a better job of labeling photos rather than rely on the numbers my computer assigns.

Writers, have you met other writers you'll be friends with for life?
Readers, have you become friends with writers and enjoyed the journey together?

1 comment:

Cherie Burbach said...

Glad to have you as a friend, too, Debby! I'm glad you talked about the importance of writer pals. We need each other, especially now, with so many changes in publishing. I don't know what I'd do without my pals. They really help keep me on track.