Hi. Joanna here. For this week the Ask-a-Wench question is:
You all belong to Word Wenches, obviously. Is there another writers' group or organization in your life that gives you support and enjoyment? Or is there another, perhaps altogether different, formal or informal group that influences your writing or help you in your writing life?
Mary Jo says:
There are so many valuable writing groups that it belies the idea that writing is a solitary profession! Most writers love to get together and talk about writing, the business, and, of course, our work sin progress. My first group was the Maryland Romance Writers, the local chapter of the Romance Writers of America. There were only ten members, but they knew a lot more about writing and publishing than I did. I'm still a member of MRW, it's grown much larger, and it's still very supportive.
typical frantic scene at RWA National Conference
All RWA groups, both regional and national, have been great places where I've learned and met lifelong friends, including most of the Word Wenches. I have a special fondness for Novelists, Inc. which is for popular fiction authors from all genres. It's always offered terrific support for the business of writing, and it's become a leader in helping writers master the emerging world of independent publishing.
Yet the Word Wenches are unique. We all write and love historical novels, and there is structure because we've all committed to posting regularly on this blog. That's business, but we've gone beyond that to become a sisterhood. We share information and laughter and offer sympathy for life's downs as well as congratulations on the ups. Not to mention sharing pet pictures and stories. <G> We like each other, we cheer each other on, and there is no queen bee. Which is why we're still here, doing what we do and enjoying it.
Anne says:
I second what Mary Jo said about writing no longer being the solitary occupation it used to be. Email and affordable phone calls has changed all that. I have writing friends all over the world, with whom I can talk over a writing problem or brainstorm 
an idea or share a piece of writing.
The Word Wenches have become a friendship group, not only a blogging group, even though we only see each other very occasionally. I have another group of writer friends with whom I go away each year for a week of writing, brainstorming, discussion and friendship. We've been doing it for seven years so far, and we support each other throu
gh life's ups and downs, as well as the writing and publishing adventure. This was our first retreat.
(Joanna slipping in with a comment. That link above, about Anne's writer group, is just chock full of tips on How To Build Your Own Writer Group With A Great Retreat. I mean, that link is gold.)
And back to Anne:
As for more formal groups, I'm a member of Romance Writers of Australia as well as Romance Writers of America. Both organizations do a lot to educate writers and help people get published and I'd recommend anyone starting out to join. I also belong to NINC, Novelists Inc, which is a US organization of multi-published authors of popular fiction, which is more oriented toward career-building. It was at a NINC conference I first met wenches Mary Jo and Jo and Pat. I also belong to several state Writers Centres in Australia — they're more oriented toward literary writing, but I like to have contact with a range of writers.
For me the strongest and most helpful connections are the personal ones — people I met through author groups or writers' organizations. I had no idea when I set out to become a romance writer that in doing so, I would find some of my best friends.
Andrea comes by to say:
I’m afraid much of what I’m going to say will sound like an echo of Mary Jo and Anne. Nonetheless . . .
It’s a good thing I didn’t know how clueless I was about being a writer when I first sat down to put the story in my down into words. Otherwise it would have been far too daunting. (Yes, someth imes ignorance really is bliss!) Somehow I muddled through my manuscript and it was accepted by Signet for it traditional Regency line. My editor, Hilary Ross, then suggested that I might want to join RWA and attend its annual conference, in order to learn the ropes. There were organizations for writers? THat was a revelation to me (I told you I was clueless.)
So I dutifully booked a flight to Chicago and showed up at the registration desk, brightly announcing I was there to register. I received a pitying look and was told I had to have registeedr MONTHS ago. No walk-ins! Well, that’s when the first of countless kindnesses from fellow writers occurred. A more experienced Signet author overheard the exchange and promptly took me by the arm, bought me a drink and introduced me to a buch of other authors. I couldn’t attend the seminars, but I was included in all the informal gatherings and made to feel part of the group. Someone lent me her conference workbook to read, another explained how the organization worked . . .
RWA became a highpoint of every year after that, a time to share laughter and and talk shop with fellow authors. I’ve learned a lot about the craft of writing through the seminars, But far more importantly, I’ve made some of my best lifelong friends through it. I think I hyperventilated 
when I first met Mary Jo and Pat and Jo at one of those first conferences. Mary Jo overlooked my near-swoon and was nice enough to offer advice as I got a few more books under my belt. When she asked if I’d be interested in joining the Word Wenches, I had to pinch myself.
Writing is at heart a solitary profession, but this group makes it feel that I’m not going it alone. It's amazing in how supportive and encouraging everyone is to each other. We brainstorm ideas, we discuss writing craft, we share personal ups and downs. In a business that constantly in flux, having that steady support and camaraderie has been really important. The Wenches aren’t just fellow writers, they have become best friends.
Pat says:
I doubt that I can add to the other posts. As a lifelong introvert, I never talked about my writing when I first started out. I was living in a tiny town without a bookstore and didn’t know The Romantic Times existed until Kathryn Falk tracked me down and asked if I knew Leigh Greenwood. Silly me, I thought he was a country musician. I think she may have mentioned RWA, but when I asked my agent and editor about the organization, they told me it was a bunch of cantankerous crazies. So my first real writer’s support group was Novelists Inc, which I learned about in the very early days of email—over long distance and a phone modem from friends I’d been corresponding with through snail mail.
My first Novelists’ Inc conference was an eye opener. I was talking to the women who wrote the books I loved. They were just like me in so many ways that it was like coming home to family. Better, because they understood the craziness in my head. That group taught me to talk about what I did. We exchanged information that made me realize my agent and editor were trying to keep me from learning that I was seriously 
underpaid. Since I was into women’s lib at the time, I took to the warpath and joined the cantankerous crazies, helping women make a living at writing.
Since then, I’ve met authors who have become close friends because they lived within driving distance, and authors whose friendship has exceeded state and national boundaries. Brainstorming with Mary Jo and Susan King led to reaching out to mutual friends and forming the Word Wenches. And although our numbers and members have changed over the years, I’ve found every one of them to be a tremendous source of support and friendship over the years.
Joanna: I'm with everyone else here in loving the wonderful national organizations like RWA. I've made lots of friends through the local RWA chapter.
And the RWA Natiional Conference is a blast.
I have a group of local writers — not all Romance writers — who get together on a wildly irregular basis and talk writing craft, marketing strategy and, y'know, life. We encourage each other.
Writers spend a lot of time in our heads. It's good we belong to a profession that also leads us to writing friends.
Susan joins in with:
When I was a green little newbie, a seasoned writer (of whom I was greatly in awe) gently told me that the very best thing about being a published author had nothing to do with writing or books. The best part, she told me, would be the friends I'd make along the way. And she was absolutely right. Every writing organization I've joined has not only taught me much about writing and publishing and opened doors — but has brought great friends into my life, some of whom have become very special friends far beyond the writing circles. I am so grateful to be part of the Wenches, a group that began as an idea between author friends (Mary Jo, Pat, myself) to create an author blog where we could share our love of historical fiction – and it's expanded over eight years far beyond what any of us expected. Honestly, I think we would have been pleased to hang on for two or three years as a group! We still enjoy doing the blog, we love connecting with readers and sharing thoughts — and behind the scenes, we have grown into a group of true friends who understand and care about each other on much more than a professional level. I'm truly grateful for this support network of real friends — I think we Wenches all appreciate how lucky we are in that regard.
Beyond the Word Wenches, and beyond the local and national organizations, the writing group that I value most is the little brainstorming triumvirate that Mary Jo and Pat and I formed years ago. It's always been a generous, honest, protected circle of sharing ideas, respecting each other's individuality as writers, and supporting our stories as well as our directions in life. It's a springboard for bouncing around titles and taglines or the bigger things like how to send the bad guy over the cliff. It's the place where I'll air my worries as well as my hopes. I cherish it greatly, and I'm always amazed they let me hang out with them.
So it's not about the writing or the group support or the influences and career advice. It's about the friendships, and then all the rest falls wonderfully into place.
And Jo has this to say:
I love writers groups, because only writers understand the craziness of it all, but I love romance writing groups the most because romance writers, overall, are positive people who value community and connection. I value my long term memberships in RWA and NINC, and also less formal internet communities, but I have benefitted most from the in person romance critique groups I've had through most of my career. Most writers do need other writers, on line and in person.
photoattrib duluozcats
What groups do you belong to that stretch your mind, fill your heart, and lead you to friends?
Great post, Joanne, thank you! I’m at RT now getting a little help from my friends!
Great post, Joanne, thank you! I’m at RT now getting a little help from my friends!
Great post, Joanne, thank you! I’m at RT now getting a little help from my friends!
Great post, Joanne, thank you! I’m at RT now getting a little help from my friends!
Great post, Joanne, thank you! I’m at RT now getting a little help from my friends!
I’m in a 12 step group, and through it I have formed some deep, lasting friendships. We see each other through things like losing parents and pets, getting new jobs, and being grateful that spring is finally here.
I used to be in a couple of academic groups that focused on the Middle East. Only there could I find people who wanted to talk about the sub-tribes of Saudia Arabia or the difference between the Muslim Brotherhood and the sufis.
And there’s an informal group of ladies who hang out at a condominium pool. One of the ladies’ husband calls us the Girl Scouts, which is a play on our ages. I’m 53 and the youngest; and our oldest member is 93. Our first meeting of the year is a week Saturday!
I’m in a 12 step group, and through it I have formed some deep, lasting friendships. We see each other through things like losing parents and pets, getting new jobs, and being grateful that spring is finally here.
I used to be in a couple of academic groups that focused on the Middle East. Only there could I find people who wanted to talk about the sub-tribes of Saudia Arabia or the difference between the Muslim Brotherhood and the sufis.
And there’s an informal group of ladies who hang out at a condominium pool. One of the ladies’ husband calls us the Girl Scouts, which is a play on our ages. I’m 53 and the youngest; and our oldest member is 93. Our first meeting of the year is a week Saturday!
I’m in a 12 step group, and through it I have formed some deep, lasting friendships. We see each other through things like losing parents and pets, getting new jobs, and being grateful that spring is finally here.
I used to be in a couple of academic groups that focused on the Middle East. Only there could I find people who wanted to talk about the sub-tribes of Saudia Arabia or the difference between the Muslim Brotherhood and the sufis.
And there’s an informal group of ladies who hang out at a condominium pool. One of the ladies’ husband calls us the Girl Scouts, which is a play on our ages. I’m 53 and the youngest; and our oldest member is 93. Our first meeting of the year is a week Saturday!
I’m in a 12 step group, and through it I have formed some deep, lasting friendships. We see each other through things like losing parents and pets, getting new jobs, and being grateful that spring is finally here.
I used to be in a couple of academic groups that focused on the Middle East. Only there could I find people who wanted to talk about the sub-tribes of Saudia Arabia or the difference between the Muslim Brotherhood and the sufis.
And there’s an informal group of ladies who hang out at a condominium pool. One of the ladies’ husband calls us the Girl Scouts, which is a play on our ages. I’m 53 and the youngest; and our oldest member is 93. Our first meeting of the year is a week Saturday!
I’m in a 12 step group, and through it I have formed some deep, lasting friendships. We see each other through things like losing parents and pets, getting new jobs, and being grateful that spring is finally here.
I used to be in a couple of academic groups that focused on the Middle East. Only there could I find people who wanted to talk about the sub-tribes of Saudia Arabia or the difference between the Muslim Brotherhood and the sufis.
And there’s an informal group of ladies who hang out at a condominium pool. One of the ladies’ husband calls us the Girl Scouts, which is a play on our ages. I’m 53 and the youngest; and our oldest member is 93. Our first meeting of the year is a week Saturday!
RT is just a classic example of folks getting together to see old friends. I wish I were there with you.
RT is just a classic example of folks getting together to see old friends. I wish I were there with you.
RT is just a classic example of folks getting together to see old friends. I wish I were there with you.
RT is just a classic example of folks getting together to see old friends. I wish I were there with you.
RT is just a classic example of folks getting together to see old friends. I wish I were there with you.
That is the most diverse three groups there could possibly be. And I hear you about the academic groups.
Because I write historicals, I am endlessly fascinated by the Regency/French Revolution/Napoleonic Wars period. I have made real friends because of that shared interest. One of the Chapters of RWA is the Beau Monde Chapter, specializing in information about the Regency period in England.
That is the most diverse three groups there could possibly be. And I hear you about the academic groups.
Because I write historicals, I am endlessly fascinated by the Regency/French Revolution/Napoleonic Wars period. I have made real friends because of that shared interest. One of the Chapters of RWA is the Beau Monde Chapter, specializing in information about the Regency period in England.
That is the most diverse three groups there could possibly be. And I hear you about the academic groups.
Because I write historicals, I am endlessly fascinated by the Regency/French Revolution/Napoleonic Wars period. I have made real friends because of that shared interest. One of the Chapters of RWA is the Beau Monde Chapter, specializing in information about the Regency period in England.
That is the most diverse three groups there could possibly be. And I hear you about the academic groups.
Because I write historicals, I am endlessly fascinated by the Regency/French Revolution/Napoleonic Wars period. I have made real friends because of that shared interest. One of the Chapters of RWA is the Beau Monde Chapter, specializing in information about the Regency period in England.
That is the most diverse three groups there could possibly be. And I hear you about the academic groups.
Because I write historicals, I am endlessly fascinated by the Regency/French Revolution/Napoleonic Wars period. I have made real friends because of that shared interest. One of the Chapters of RWA is the Beau Monde Chapter, specializing in information about the Regency period in England.
And oh, Pat, how I wish we were all there with you.
And oh, Pat, how I wish we were all there with you.
And oh, Pat, how I wish we were all there with you.
And oh, Pat, how I wish we were all there with you.
And oh, Pat, how I wish we were all there with you.
One of the great blessings of the internet is the way it helps us find our tribe, whether it’s writers, quilters, or Mideastern specialists. Not all Word Wenches have met each other face to face, and I’m not sure any of us have met our stalwart whipmistress, Sherrie, in person. The doesn’t matter–we are still connected in our word wench community.
One of the great blessings of the internet is the way it helps us find our tribe, whether it’s writers, quilters, or Mideastern specialists. Not all Word Wenches have met each other face to face, and I’m not sure any of us have met our stalwart whipmistress, Sherrie, in person. The doesn’t matter–we are still connected in our word wench community.
One of the great blessings of the internet is the way it helps us find our tribe, whether it’s writers, quilters, or Mideastern specialists. Not all Word Wenches have met each other face to face, and I’m not sure any of us have met our stalwart whipmistress, Sherrie, in person. The doesn’t matter–we are still connected in our word wench community.
One of the great blessings of the internet is the way it helps us find our tribe, whether it’s writers, quilters, or Mideastern specialists. Not all Word Wenches have met each other face to face, and I’m not sure any of us have met our stalwart whipmistress, Sherrie, in person. The doesn’t matter–we are still connected in our word wench community.
One of the great blessings of the internet is the way it helps us find our tribe, whether it’s writers, quilters, or Mideastern specialists. Not all Word Wenches have met each other face to face, and I’m not sure any of us have met our stalwart whipmistress, Sherrie, in person. The doesn’t matter–we are still connected in our word wench community.
Oh, I really miss being with all of you!But the homebound Wenches are vicariously enjoying the Big Easy through your updates!
Oh, I really miss being with all of you!But the homebound Wenches are vicariously enjoying the Big Easy through your updates!
Oh, I really miss being with all of you!But the homebound Wenches are vicariously enjoying the Big Easy through your updates!
Oh, I really miss being with all of you!But the homebound Wenches are vicariously enjoying the Big Easy through your updates!
Oh, I really miss being with all of you!But the homebound Wenches are vicariously enjoying the Big Easy through your updates!
Shannon, having a close-knit group to talk about esoteric things that interest you (or just life with knidred souls) is a very important thing to have. I also am on a library committee with a wide range of people from different professions, and we have the most fun talking about an incredibly wide range of subjects once our normal business is done. We’ve all become good friends and I look forward to our monthly meeting very much.
Shannon, having a close-knit group to talk about esoteric things that interest you (or just life with knidred souls) is a very important thing to have. I also am on a library committee with a wide range of people from different professions, and we have the most fun talking about an incredibly wide range of subjects once our normal business is done. We’ve all become good friends and I look forward to our monthly meeting very much.
Shannon, having a close-knit group to talk about esoteric things that interest you (or just life with knidred souls) is a very important thing to have. I also am on a library committee with a wide range of people from different professions, and we have the most fun talking about an incredibly wide range of subjects once our normal business is done. We’ve all become good friends and I look forward to our monthly meeting very much.
Shannon, having a close-knit group to talk about esoteric things that interest you (or just life with knidred souls) is a very important thing to have. I also am on a library committee with a wide range of people from different professions, and we have the most fun talking about an incredibly wide range of subjects once our normal business is done. We’ve all become good friends and I look forward to our monthly meeting very much.
Shannon, having a close-knit group to talk about esoteric things that interest you (or just life with knidred souls) is a very important thing to have. I also am on a library committee with a wide range of people from different professions, and we have the most fun talking about an incredibly wide range of subjects once our normal business is done. We’ve all become good friends and I look forward to our monthly meeting very much.
I only started reading romance novels about five years ago, and my response to them was like someone on crack cocaine — they’re powerfully addictive! Shortly after I started reading them, my local library in Durham, North Carolina started a Romance Novel Lovers Book Club. It has attracted such wonderful people; our opinions are diverse, we try different sub-genres and authors, and we always end up laughing and laughing as we discuss romance novels and, well, Life. It feels like a special sisterhood, and I’ve formed close friendships with some of them. Plus, two of our members are romance novelists (Katharine Ashe and Jennifer Lohmann), and sometimes we are joined by Dabney Grinnen, who reviews books for All About Romance. It’s like getting an interesting “inside scoop” on the world of romance novels, writing and publishing! In short, my (introverted) life has expanded immeasurably since joining this group.
I only started reading romance novels about five years ago, and my response to them was like someone on crack cocaine — they’re powerfully addictive! Shortly after I started reading them, my local library in Durham, North Carolina started a Romance Novel Lovers Book Club. It has attracted such wonderful people; our opinions are diverse, we try different sub-genres and authors, and we always end up laughing and laughing as we discuss romance novels and, well, Life. It feels like a special sisterhood, and I’ve formed close friendships with some of them. Plus, two of our members are romance novelists (Katharine Ashe and Jennifer Lohmann), and sometimes we are joined by Dabney Grinnen, who reviews books for All About Romance. It’s like getting an interesting “inside scoop” on the world of romance novels, writing and publishing! In short, my (introverted) life has expanded immeasurably since joining this group.
I only started reading romance novels about five years ago, and my response to them was like someone on crack cocaine — they’re powerfully addictive! Shortly after I started reading them, my local library in Durham, North Carolina started a Romance Novel Lovers Book Club. It has attracted such wonderful people; our opinions are diverse, we try different sub-genres and authors, and we always end up laughing and laughing as we discuss romance novels and, well, Life. It feels like a special sisterhood, and I’ve formed close friendships with some of them. Plus, two of our members are romance novelists (Katharine Ashe and Jennifer Lohmann), and sometimes we are joined by Dabney Grinnen, who reviews books for All About Romance. It’s like getting an interesting “inside scoop” on the world of romance novels, writing and publishing! In short, my (introverted) life has expanded immeasurably since joining this group.
I only started reading romance novels about five years ago, and my response to them was like someone on crack cocaine — they’re powerfully addictive! Shortly after I started reading them, my local library in Durham, North Carolina started a Romance Novel Lovers Book Club. It has attracted such wonderful people; our opinions are diverse, we try different sub-genres and authors, and we always end up laughing and laughing as we discuss romance novels and, well, Life. It feels like a special sisterhood, and I’ve formed close friendships with some of them. Plus, two of our members are romance novelists (Katharine Ashe and Jennifer Lohmann), and sometimes we are joined by Dabney Grinnen, who reviews books for All About Romance. It’s like getting an interesting “inside scoop” on the world of romance novels, writing and publishing! In short, my (introverted) life has expanded immeasurably since joining this group.
I only started reading romance novels about five years ago, and my response to them was like someone on crack cocaine — they’re powerfully addictive! Shortly after I started reading them, my local library in Durham, North Carolina started a Romance Novel Lovers Book Club. It has attracted such wonderful people; our opinions are diverse, we try different sub-genres and authors, and we always end up laughing and laughing as we discuss romance novels and, well, Life. It feels like a special sisterhood, and I’ve formed close friendships with some of them. Plus, two of our members are romance novelists (Katharine Ashe and Jennifer Lohmann), and sometimes we are joined by Dabney Grinnen, who reviews books for All About Romance. It’s like getting an interesting “inside scoop” on the world of romance novels, writing and publishing! In short, my (introverted) life has expanded immeasurably since joining this group.
I had forgotten entirely about book clubs.
I don’t belong to any myself. I’m not sure why. I think it’s because I have a huge backlist of books I mean to read and I never get to them.
But now that you have brought the matter up, I should maybe look into one, shouldn’t I? They sound like fun.
And your book group sounds perfectly wonderful!
I had forgotten entirely about book clubs.
I don’t belong to any myself. I’m not sure why. I think it’s because I have a huge backlist of books I mean to read and I never get to them.
But now that you have brought the matter up, I should maybe look into one, shouldn’t I? They sound like fun.
And your book group sounds perfectly wonderful!
I had forgotten entirely about book clubs.
I don’t belong to any myself. I’m not sure why. I think it’s because I have a huge backlist of books I mean to read and I never get to them.
But now that you have brought the matter up, I should maybe look into one, shouldn’t I? They sound like fun.
And your book group sounds perfectly wonderful!
I had forgotten entirely about book clubs.
I don’t belong to any myself. I’m not sure why. I think it’s because I have a huge backlist of books I mean to read and I never get to them.
But now that you have brought the matter up, I should maybe look into one, shouldn’t I? They sound like fun.
And your book group sounds perfectly wonderful!
I had forgotten entirely about book clubs.
I don’t belong to any myself. I’m not sure why. I think it’s because I have a huge backlist of books I mean to read and I never get to them.
But now that you have brought the matter up, I should maybe look into one, shouldn’t I? They sound like fun.
And your book group sounds perfectly wonderful!
I used to belong to a mycology club, which is made up of crazy people who eat the mushrooms they find in the woods(seriously, we are careful to identify them properly first). Mycologists are eccentric but a lot of fun.
Now I talk about romance books on a couple of messageboards at paperbackswap.com, because my real life friends are not romance readers. I’ve never met any of my online PBS buddies, but we exchange little gifts in the mail as well as swapping books, and they feel like real friends.
I started commenting about 10 years ago at a political blog. The participants there talked to each other non-stop around the clock, in different time zones, and soon veered into every personal topic you can think of. We became so close that we started having annual conventions with speakers, many of us have become good friends, and there are various in-person meetups around the country. Plus we still blog, Facebook and tweet together. At least one or two real life romances also sprang from that group of virtual friends.
I used to belong to a mycology club, which is made up of crazy people who eat the mushrooms they find in the woods(seriously, we are careful to identify them properly first). Mycologists are eccentric but a lot of fun.
Now I talk about romance books on a couple of messageboards at paperbackswap.com, because my real life friends are not romance readers. I’ve never met any of my online PBS buddies, but we exchange little gifts in the mail as well as swapping books, and they feel like real friends.
I started commenting about 10 years ago at a political blog. The participants there talked to each other non-stop around the clock, in different time zones, and soon veered into every personal topic you can think of. We became so close that we started having annual conventions with speakers, many of us have become good friends, and there are various in-person meetups around the country. Plus we still blog, Facebook and tweet together. At least one or two real life romances also sprang from that group of virtual friends.
I used to belong to a mycology club, which is made up of crazy people who eat the mushrooms they find in the woods(seriously, we are careful to identify them properly first). Mycologists are eccentric but a lot of fun.
Now I talk about romance books on a couple of messageboards at paperbackswap.com, because my real life friends are not romance readers. I’ve never met any of my online PBS buddies, but we exchange little gifts in the mail as well as swapping books, and they feel like real friends.
I started commenting about 10 years ago at a political blog. The participants there talked to each other non-stop around the clock, in different time zones, and soon veered into every personal topic you can think of. We became so close that we started having annual conventions with speakers, many of us have become good friends, and there are various in-person meetups around the country. Plus we still blog, Facebook and tweet together. At least one or two real life romances also sprang from that group of virtual friends.
I used to belong to a mycology club, which is made up of crazy people who eat the mushrooms they find in the woods(seriously, we are careful to identify them properly first). Mycologists are eccentric but a lot of fun.
Now I talk about romance books on a couple of messageboards at paperbackswap.com, because my real life friends are not romance readers. I’ve never met any of my online PBS buddies, but we exchange little gifts in the mail as well as swapping books, and they feel like real friends.
I started commenting about 10 years ago at a political blog. The participants there talked to each other non-stop around the clock, in different time zones, and soon veered into every personal topic you can think of. We became so close that we started having annual conventions with speakers, many of us have become good friends, and there are various in-person meetups around the country. Plus we still blog, Facebook and tweet together. At least one or two real life romances also sprang from that group of virtual friends.
I used to belong to a mycology club, which is made up of crazy people who eat the mushrooms they find in the woods(seriously, we are careful to identify them properly first). Mycologists are eccentric but a lot of fun.
Now I talk about romance books on a couple of messageboards at paperbackswap.com, because my real life friends are not romance readers. I’ve never met any of my online PBS buddies, but we exchange little gifts in the mail as well as swapping books, and they feel like real friends.
I started commenting about 10 years ago at a political blog. The participants there talked to each other non-stop around the clock, in different time zones, and soon veered into every personal topic you can think of. We became so close that we started having annual conventions with speakers, many of us have become good friends, and there are various in-person meetups around the country. Plus we still blog, Facebook and tweet together. At least one or two real life romances also sprang from that group of virtual friends.
The mycology club sounds delightful. I’d want to go out on group mushroom hunts. *g*
In one of my book, a character gathers mushrooms to add interest to lunch, so I had to do some research on what mushrooms would be available in the wild woods of western France in September. I’m grateful to the many wild mushroom gatherers who post blogs.
I didn’t know there were message boards at paperbackswap. That’s a new one on me.
The mycology club sounds delightful. I’d want to go out on group mushroom hunts. *g*
In one of my book, a character gathers mushrooms to add interest to lunch, so I had to do some research on what mushrooms would be available in the wild woods of western France in September. I’m grateful to the many wild mushroom gatherers who post blogs.
I didn’t know there were message boards at paperbackswap. That’s a new one on me.
The mycology club sounds delightful. I’d want to go out on group mushroom hunts. *g*
In one of my book, a character gathers mushrooms to add interest to lunch, so I had to do some research on what mushrooms would be available in the wild woods of western France in September. I’m grateful to the many wild mushroom gatherers who post blogs.
I didn’t know there were message boards at paperbackswap. That’s a new one on me.
The mycology club sounds delightful. I’d want to go out on group mushroom hunts. *g*
In one of my book, a character gathers mushrooms to add interest to lunch, so I had to do some research on what mushrooms would be available in the wild woods of western France in September. I’m grateful to the many wild mushroom gatherers who post blogs.
I didn’t know there were message boards at paperbackswap. That’s a new one on me.
The mycology club sounds delightful. I’d want to go out on group mushroom hunts. *g*
In one of my book, a character gathers mushrooms to add interest to lunch, so I had to do some research on what mushrooms would be available in the wild woods of western France in September. I’m grateful to the many wild mushroom gatherers who post blogs.
I didn’t know there were message boards at paperbackswap. That’s a new one on me.
Karen, I used to go mushroom hunting when I was a kid — it was a favorite family outing. My only problem was that I didn’t like the mushrooms that mum cooked up afterward. These days I love mushrooms but I rarely go out looking for them. And it’s been so long since I did it that I suspect I’d be a bit worried about picking anything other than the kind we picked as kids, though I know now that there’s a much wider variety of safe and edible mushrooms out there. As well as dangerous one.
Karen, I used to go mushroom hunting when I was a kid — it was a favorite family outing. My only problem was that I didn’t like the mushrooms that mum cooked up afterward. These days I love mushrooms but I rarely go out looking for them. And it’s been so long since I did it that I suspect I’d be a bit worried about picking anything other than the kind we picked as kids, though I know now that there’s a much wider variety of safe and edible mushrooms out there. As well as dangerous one.
Karen, I used to go mushroom hunting when I was a kid — it was a favorite family outing. My only problem was that I didn’t like the mushrooms that mum cooked up afterward. These days I love mushrooms but I rarely go out looking for them. And it’s been so long since I did it that I suspect I’d be a bit worried about picking anything other than the kind we picked as kids, though I know now that there’s a much wider variety of safe and edible mushrooms out there. As well as dangerous one.
Karen, I used to go mushroom hunting when I was a kid — it was a favorite family outing. My only problem was that I didn’t like the mushrooms that mum cooked up afterward. These days I love mushrooms but I rarely go out looking for them. And it’s been so long since I did it that I suspect I’d be a bit worried about picking anything other than the kind we picked as kids, though I know now that there’s a much wider variety of safe and edible mushrooms out there. As well as dangerous one.
Karen, I used to go mushroom hunting when I was a kid — it was a favorite family outing. My only problem was that I didn’t like the mushrooms that mum cooked up afterward. These days I love mushrooms but I rarely go out looking for them. And it’s been so long since I did it that I suspect I’d be a bit worried about picking anything other than the kind we picked as kids, though I know now that there’s a much wider variety of safe and edible mushrooms out there. As well as dangerous one.
Mary Jo, what a wonderful typo: “our work sin progress”!
I think it’s evident from your posts and from the comments how crucial the Internet has been in enabling writers to find and communicate with other writers. I don’t know how they did it before then, especially if their publishers weren’t helpful. I’ve just been thinking about authors who knew one another in eighteenth and nineteenth century England, and often it was a matter of happening to live in the same area and of one taking the initiative to write to another. And later there was the Bloomsbury group, for example. But at the same time there writers who were isolated and working alone, with no like-minded people nearby and no means of getting to know other authors even through correspondence.
Mary Jo, what a wonderful typo: “our work sin progress”!
I think it’s evident from your posts and from the comments how crucial the Internet has been in enabling writers to find and communicate with other writers. I don’t know how they did it before then, especially if their publishers weren’t helpful. I’ve just been thinking about authors who knew one another in eighteenth and nineteenth century England, and often it was a matter of happening to live in the same area and of one taking the initiative to write to another. And later there was the Bloomsbury group, for example. But at the same time there writers who were isolated and working alone, with no like-minded people nearby and no means of getting to know other authors even through correspondence.
Mary Jo, what a wonderful typo: “our work sin progress”!
I think it’s evident from your posts and from the comments how crucial the Internet has been in enabling writers to find and communicate with other writers. I don’t know how they did it before then, especially if their publishers weren’t helpful. I’ve just been thinking about authors who knew one another in eighteenth and nineteenth century England, and often it was a matter of happening to live in the same area and of one taking the initiative to write to another. And later there was the Bloomsbury group, for example. But at the same time there writers who were isolated and working alone, with no like-minded people nearby and no means of getting to know other authors even through correspondence.
Mary Jo, what a wonderful typo: “our work sin progress”!
I think it’s evident from your posts and from the comments how crucial the Internet has been in enabling writers to find and communicate with other writers. I don’t know how they did it before then, especially if their publishers weren’t helpful. I’ve just been thinking about authors who knew one another in eighteenth and nineteenth century England, and often it was a matter of happening to live in the same area and of one taking the initiative to write to another. And later there was the Bloomsbury group, for example. But at the same time there writers who were isolated and working alone, with no like-minded people nearby and no means of getting to know other authors even through correspondence.
Mary Jo, what a wonderful typo: “our work sin progress”!
I think it’s evident from your posts and from the comments how crucial the Internet has been in enabling writers to find and communicate with other writers. I don’t know how they did it before then, especially if their publishers weren’t helpful. I’ve just been thinking about authors who knew one another in eighteenth and nineteenth century England, and often it was a matter of happening to live in the same area and of one taking the initiative to write to another. And later there was the Bloomsbury group, for example. But at the same time there writers who were isolated and working alone, with no like-minded people nearby and no means of getting to know other authors even through correspondence.
I am so glad to live in a time when I can get to know like-minded folks from all over the world. What could be more wonderful.
Every once in a while folks wonder how more productive writers in the past would have been if they’d had computers to write on. I wonder how folks like Austen, Bronte, Mary Shelley and Elizabeth Browning would have been supported and freed if they could have found the support of fellow woman writers on an internet.
I am so glad to live in a time when I can get to know like-minded folks from all over the world. What could be more wonderful.
Every once in a while folks wonder how more productive writers in the past would have been if they’d had computers to write on. I wonder how folks like Austen, Bronte, Mary Shelley and Elizabeth Browning would have been supported and freed if they could have found the support of fellow woman writers on an internet.
I am so glad to live in a time when I can get to know like-minded folks from all over the world. What could be more wonderful.
Every once in a while folks wonder how more productive writers in the past would have been if they’d had computers to write on. I wonder how folks like Austen, Bronte, Mary Shelley and Elizabeth Browning would have been supported and freed if they could have found the support of fellow woman writers on an internet.
I am so glad to live in a time when I can get to know like-minded folks from all over the world. What could be more wonderful.
Every once in a while folks wonder how more productive writers in the past would have been if they’d had computers to write on. I wonder how folks like Austen, Bronte, Mary Shelley and Elizabeth Browning would have been supported and freed if they could have found the support of fellow woman writers on an internet.
I am so glad to live in a time when I can get to know like-minded folks from all over the world. What could be more wonderful.
Every once in a while folks wonder how more productive writers in the past would have been if they’d had computers to write on. I wonder how folks like Austen, Bronte, Mary Shelley and Elizabeth Browning would have been supported and freed if they could have found the support of fellow woman writers on an internet.
I had several lives before I began writing, and I can honestly say romance writers are the most nurturing, welcoming people I’ve ever met. It was wonderful to see Mary Jo at RT, even it was only in passing. Jo and Cara, I hope to see you at RWA! Great post. I tweeted and shared on FB.
I had several lives before I began writing, and I can honestly say romance writers are the most nurturing, welcoming people I’ve ever met. It was wonderful to see Mary Jo at RT, even it was only in passing. Jo and Cara, I hope to see you at RWA! Great post. I tweeted and shared on FB.
I had several lives before I began writing, and I can honestly say romance writers are the most nurturing, welcoming people I’ve ever met. It was wonderful to see Mary Jo at RT, even it was only in passing. Jo and Cara, I hope to see you at RWA! Great post. I tweeted and shared on FB.
I had several lives before I began writing, and I can honestly say romance writers are the most nurturing, welcoming people I’ve ever met. It was wonderful to see Mary Jo at RT, even it was only in passing. Jo and Cara, I hope to see you at RWA! Great post. I tweeted and shared on FB.
I had several lives before I began writing, and I can honestly say romance writers are the most nurturing, welcoming people I’ve ever met. It was wonderful to see Mary Jo at RT, even it was only in passing. Jo and Cara, I hope to see you at RWA! Great post. I tweeted and shared on FB.