Wednesday, August 03, 2016

IWSG: August 2016


Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time.




This month's insecurity isn't an insecurity at all--in fact, this post is about the type of social reinforcement that combats those feelings. You see, it all started with a conversation...

I was chatting with one of my close writing pals a few weeks ago. We'll call her... Schmatie Schmettner. Anyway, it came up how I have wonky back issues from sleeping on a couch for over a decade. (If you haven't been with the blog long, I got rid of my bed in favor of desk space for writing.) She vowed that someday I would have a bed again.

I laughed.

Fast forward a week or so, and I get an e-card. It's a wonderful ode to friendship with a cryptic post script suggesting a few packages would soon be headed my way. Now joining Schmatie Schmettner were some of my other close writing friends. We'll call them... Schmancy Schmompson, Schmisa Schmegan, and Schmana Schmason. (You know, to protect their saintly identities.)

A few days later, not one but TWO Fed-Ex trucks rolled up. Then out came a package containing sheets. I blinked, wondering if they were some kind of special sheets intended for couches, but the deliveries kept coming. Next came a bedspread set, a twin base frame, and finally a memory foam mattress! Yes, let that sink in. My writing friends BOUGHT ME A BED.

I sat there among the boxes in disbelief, half-crying, half-baffling at the random act of kindness... but I digress. This post wasn't intended to embarrass those authors by way of extolling their virtues. I just wanted it to show everyone that the writing world isn't as cruel and competitive as the headlines sometimes lead us to believe. Online friendships are real relationships, and they're oh-so-important in times like these. So if you have writing pals like these, be sure to let them know how much you appreciate them and value their friendship--even if it's through a thinly veiled IWSG post.

On a completely unrelated note *cough*, I want to pimp a few authors. If you see these ladies around the blogosphere, be sure to say hello and pick up one of their books! ;)

3 comments:

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

That is so kewl! What wonderful friends. But I'm not surprised. You are a treasure, Carrie. And you deserve a bed. So, when do we see pics!

Mark said...

That's so sweet:) Great to know things like that still happen:)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

That was really sweet of them!
And I'm sorry, I didn't get this update in my Feedly reader. I was just checking directly off the IWSG list today.