Saturday, April 6, 2013

F IS FOR FRIENDS


by Kathy Cannon Wiechman

Just over a year ago (3/19/12) my blog post was about friends I have met at critique groups and writers workshops.

I met a woman (Carole) at Chautauqua in 1999, who still keeps in touch. I met Jon Egan (my fellow Swagger) at a workshop in 2006. Since then, we’ve done half a dozen workshops together and I consider him and his wife as dear friends. Two other writers from that 2006 workshop are still friends too, even though I have seen one of them (Brandi) only once since then. The other (Laurie) I haven’t seen at all. But we stay in touch. They’re my friends.
Jon Egan "planking" during a break at a Highlights workshop.

I belong to a group of writers who share goals periodically by email. Some of them I never met, but I consider them friends. We share our triumphs and frustrations in this business we all love. In January, I met a friend (Margie) from that group for the first time. But we had been friends for nearly a year before.

I could go on and on, listing dozens and dozens of friends from workshops or book signings who have kept in touch. And some of my dearest friends are from my critique groups.

There is something about a shared love of words and a passion for writing that seems to lead to friendship. Maybe it’s because we often share our innermost feelings in our work or maybe it’s the atmosphere that surrounds us in those sessions.

Or maybe it’s just being with people who understand.

When I’m with people outside of the writing world, and I get excited about my newest idea or character, I can see their eyes glaze over with boredom. Other writers understand.

When I’m about to tackle a tenth revision of a novel, some non-writers ask, “Why again?” Other writers understand. They have been in that same situation. They support and encourage.

When rejections come, non-writers don’t understand the difference between a “good rejection” letter and a bad one. Writers do. We can talk over the fine points of that letter and they can help me decide what my next step should be.

Writers make some of the best friendships.

So today I raise my glass (actually it’s a plastic bottle of Diet Coke) to all my writer friends. No matter how long it’s been since I saw you, no matter how short our time together was—or if we never met, I salute you and your efforts. Please know that your friendship is something I treasure. Here’s to you!

22 comments:

  1. Friends, including writer friends, are great. Thanks for sharing how you met some of yours.

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  2. I salute *your* efforts, my friend.

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  3. Oh you are so right. Especially about the glazed over eyes lol My best friends I've met on line some i speak to on the phone some I've actually met - good excuse to travel and some we share our writing and lives. I wanted to meet people I never would normally and I have and it's wonderful

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  4. Absolutely! My writer friends are the best!

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  5. You don't have to meet someone to be great friends. I've never met another writer or any blogger friends. Yet I feel comfortable emailing them to ask questions on all sorts of issues. There does seem to be a natural bond of understanding between writers.

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    1. Yes, there's a special bond with other writers. For some reason, we are less competitive than other professions. We actually root for the others to succeed. Thanks for your comment.

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  6. Right back at you! I'm out to dinner tonight and promise to have an extra glass of wine to toast our friendship (I am so selfless!)

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    1. Wonderful! A drink to a friend is always a good drink.

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  7. Excellent word. What a wonderful way to shout out your friends.

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    1. Thanks. Without writer friends, this business can beat you down. They make everything worthwhile.

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  8. Precious tribute to some of our most endeared friends---friends who are ALSO writers! What would we do without them?? There are good friends, great friends, and then friends who totally "get" us and our writing, and without the latter group... we'd lose our minds!

    Great idea drawing attention to your writing friends!!! Love this idea. Will have to use it at some other point during the year.

    Great job!
    Dana
    Waiter, drink please!

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    1. Thanks, Dana. I'm also meeting new writer friends through the blog, even one whose son plays for the Dodgers. ;)

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  9. It's been wonderul making so many blogging friends. I'm often amazed at how quickly and selflessly writers bond with each other. Maybe because we can empathize with the madness in a kindred spirit ;-)

    New follower here. I'm stopping by from the "A to Z" challenge and I look forward to visiting again.

    Sylvia
    http://www.writinginwonderland.blogspot.com/

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    1. Thanks, Sylvia. I look forward to trekking over to wonderland.

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  10. Writer friends are the best friends! :)

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  11. I loved this post. I think writing is a great platform to bring tons of people together. And my fellow bloggers have been really supportive and encouraging all long!

    - a new friend from the a-z challenge! :)

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