IT'S NEVER TOO LATE!

I have begun participating in an online program for writers, or those who desire to become writers, called Literary Living.  It is a four-month long process of helping us find our “voice” as it is referred to in the writing community, or our niche, or both.  The first week we were introducing ourselves to each other and choosing a habit we want to form and report about daily for the first month.

I chose doing “morning pages,” a suggestion from Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way.  That seems to work well for me, but I have not been consistent with it and having to report my progress, or admit when I miss, is going to help.  We also write encouragements to each other.  That is especially helpful because I think all of us are prone to be hard on ourselves when we don’t meet our expectations, and we need someone to tell us that it’s okay, keep trying.  Isn’t it interesting how easy it is to do that for someone else, but not for ourself!

We began the second week with a personality test.  When we learn our strengths and weaknesses we can determine why some things work for us and others don’t and find what will.  We have all found that we have not been able to practice advice for writers that we have read, or written like those we admire and have wondered why.  Now, we will know.

This is a good experience so far just getting to know these other writers, even though we are many miles apart and will probably never meet in person.  Some people in the group have had writing jobs doing non-fiction articles, but now want to try writing fiction.  Some have been published and others have started, but never finished novels.  We are not all in the same age range either, but I am glad that there is one other senior woman.

I will be eager to read something one of our group gets published and be able to say, I know that person.  I hope someone will say that about me some day when I become a well-known author.