A Writer’s Best Friend

So, I’ve found my best writing friend, again.

And it’s my writing group.

My group comprises around a dozen women who represent different genres, different approaches, different histories, different states… even different countries. One is a college professor, the bulk of whose writing is academic in nature; the rest of us, moms and job-holders by day, fiction writers by night, write mystery, romance, science fiction, fantasy, erotica, and amazing combinations of the above.

Each of us – and our writing – is celebrated for who she is and what she does. Each of us receives support in spirit and in craft. Each of us is encouraged and critiqued and emerges from our annual retreat knowing that there are people invested in making sure her story is as good as it can possibly be.

Each of us is treasured.

This has been 2013’s Retreat Week. We’ve come together by the shores of Lake Michigan to laugh, sing, and embrace. To cook and to dine. To read and to write.

And on Friday, when we reluctantly return to our lives, we’ll do so renewed and ready to press forward with our writing. At home, with our families, our jobs, and all the distractions of everyday life, we’ll also carry in our hearts this lovely space that’s filled with words and laughter and acceptance.

And we’ll return here, every time we sit down to write.

Already, I can’t wait until next year!