Encouragement – We All Need It

Writing is a lonely endeavor. For the most part, we’re alone when we enter our office to sit and put words on the page. Of course, as Christian writers, we know the Holy Spirit is always with us. We also need a writing community of some kind to be there with words of encouragement.

THE LATE GREAT – YVONNE LEHMAN

I’ve been in several writing communities over the years I’ve been writing (2014 to the present). The first one I joined was such a surprise to me. I met Yvonne Lehman at my first BRMCWC back in May 2014. She invited me to come join her group as I was moving to the area when our home was completed in August.

What?

Yvonne Lehman, founder of Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference or BRMCWC wanted me to come to her group. I knew nothing. I was a very green or newbie writer. Oh, I’d brought things with me to see if I was even in the ballpark when it came to putting decent words on the page. They were picture books and children’s poetry.

Both Sally Apokedak and Michelle Medlock Adams encouraged me in their classes and both said, You are a writer. So, maybe I’d take a chance.

It was an entire year later that I finally went to Yvonne’s classes held in her cozy home in Black Mountain.

Y’all! If someone invites you to a writing group, don’t wait a year. Think of all the things I could have learned in that year and from one of the best encouragers, mentors, and writers out there.

Encouragement - We All Need It @DDuPreeWilliaams #writing #writingcommunity #encouragement Share on X

WORD WEAVERS INTERNATIONAL

Then I joined Word Weavers International, founded by Eva Marie Everson. I was in a few different groups there. I wandered from one to the other as the time of the meetings began to interfere with my life’s agenda. But the groups were all very helpful and encouraging. I’m still friends with the people in those groups. We may not see one another face-to-face, but we keep in touch on social media. I’ve proudly and joyfully watched their successes over the years.  wordweaversinternational.org/

AMERICAN CHRISTIAN FICTION WRITERS

Then I joined ACFW when I decided I was really a writer of fiction. Now, I will admit. I’m of a certain age that techie things issue challenges for me. I didn’t understand their terminology for some things such as the loop. As a consequence, I’ve never, to this day, taken advantage of all the things this fabulous group offers writers.

Oddly enough, I was one of the founding officers of the newly formed Upstate chapter in South Carolina. But even that became a challenge as it is over an hour from my home. That isn’t a problem since they only meet once a month, but I don’t drive in these mountains other than to go to the grocery store which is on the main road and not far from our home. Hubby takes me to all these meetings.  https://acfw.com/

I felt terrible asking him to wait three hours while I attended a meeting of fellow writers. So, I stopped going to those.

ONLINE GROUPS

Then, I joined another online group but things went awry in that one, so we stopped meeting. It was a great group of wonderful writers. Honestly, I thought we worked well together. Schedule clashes and life in general brought this one to an end.

Then, a group of three ladies and I formed yet another group. This one is still in SC, but only about a thirty-five-minute drive from my home.  It was mostly to have a group to offer spiritual support. And this was doable. But then, our schedules began to butt heads. We could rarely find time to gather even once a month. The good news is, we keep in touch and I’m thankful for that.

Right now, I have no writing community. Oh, I have friends like the ones mentioned above with whom I chat about writing, and we pray for one another, but it isn’t the same as gathering together, face to face.

I’m pretty sure many of the people who were in one or another of those groups feel like me—lost in the very big sea of this writing world.

BOTTOM LINE?

We need each other. We need face-to-face contact, even if it’s in a Zoom meeting. At least that’s something. We need encouragement and prayers, and we need to give those same things to others out there seeking help. It’s part of our writing ministry—to be there for others.

Do you have a writing community? Did you formerly have one? Share your experience with us. Remember, Word Weavers (WW) and ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) both have a place just for you. WW hahttps://youtu.be/T_pgGgHVxPg?si=5MEv8O7mD3c3luGMs a group specific to your genre, even if you write poetry. Give them a try. Both of these groups have in-person and online groups, just for you.

Blessings, y’all!

I don’t know this person or group, and I’ve never heard this song. I don’t know about you, but I pray this prayer many times every day. Especially in these trying days. I pray this blesses you in some way.