Friday, October 28, 2005

Thanks For Sharing. Really.

One of the things I've discovered since joining the on-line writing community is how unbelievably generous most writers are. Or at least, the romance novel writing community is generous since I have no idea how things are in the mystery writers or SciFi fantasy or, heaven forbid, Literary communities.

When I say generous, I'm talking about the willingness to share knowledge. I've confessed before that I'm a junky for how-tos, any book or article or program that might offer me some little tidbit that I can apply to my own writing. And I've discovered the greatest resource for solid, usable writing tips and strategies is from writers themselves. Those people who've been in the trenches and have stared down a blank page and lived to tell about it.

Even more impressive is the fact that these writers who could choose to spend their time writing manage to make time to offer up what they've learned. They take precious moments away from their WIPs to compose sometimes lengthy workshops or blog entries or similar so those of us in writer's preschool can benefit from their struggles.

I would like to thank these kind people. I know it's not intended for me personally, that I'm just a nameless, faceless blob in the massive crowd of writer wannabes, but you cannot imagine how much your advice means to me and how much it helps me. Every day I come to your blogs or websites hoping that another pearl of wisdom will be waiting, some little bit of advice that might help me get past a particular problem I might be having. The thrill for a how-to junkie like me is indescribable.

Writers of exceptional generosity include PBW, Holly Lisle, Alison Kent, Michelle Willingham, just to name a few. There are many, many more, and I apologize for not listing them all. Perhaps I'll add to my sidebar a section for Writers Deserving of Gratitude and keep adding to it, to give all of these people their due props.

And I also promise, right here and right now, if I ever become published and therefore worthy of extending advice, I'll give back to the community the same way these women have given to me. If I can help just one person out there, I'll be thankful.

1 comment:

meljean brook said...

Oh, I love those guys, too. I always feel a teensy bit guilty that I don't have even a smidgen of the worthy advice to give that they do. I just like 80s cartoons. Maybe in ten years or so. Or twenty.