Who's got your back?

Happy Labor Day Weekend to all of my American friends!

This Labor Day, my very good friend Leigh Wyndfield (www.leighwyndfield.com) came up from south of the Mason Dixon line to visit me for a long weekend. Leigh and I met at my very first Romantic Times Convention in New York City in 2004. We immediately hit it off and have become great friends.

Writing is a very solitary endeavor. Often, a writer is alone with her characters and no one else for company. Having writing groups is a huge support. Having a friend who is a writer and "gets" what you are talking about is a godsend.

I have been very lucky to have fantastic writing friends. I have my Sizzling Sisters who have supported me through my daughter's cancer (she's in her second year of remission WOOT!) my father's death, moving, and going back to work full time. They understand when I disappear for weeks at a time and then come back saying "can anyone read this?" Without their support, I don't know if I would have ever written WAKING UP.

Just like an athlete needs to have a coach and support team, so too does a writer. If your world at home is falling apart, it's very difficult to write a happily ever after. Having a husband and children who are willing to
A.) Leave you alone so you can write and B.) eat leftovers for three days straight so you can finish something is incredibly helpful.

Writing friends are like coaches, they are there for you to kick you in the pants when things get rough. They force you to ignore the rejection/bad review/massive edits and get back to work. Unlike coaches, they don't mind answering random questions and don't blink when you ask, "can I kill someone by overdosing them on insulin?"

To sum up this rather random blog, I have to say I've been blessed with wonderful friends and a very understanding family. Writing may be a solitary venture, but with good friends at your back, you're never alone.