The Ethels to our Lucys…..

As individuals we all have them, those people with whom we share our lives with in good times and in bad (aside from spouses, of course). The childhood friends we grew up with. The friends from high school that we never parted from or had the chance to rekindle the friendship later in life. The friends from college that held our hair as we spent the night in front of a toilet, or held the tissue and spooned ice cream into our mouths after a nasty breakup. Perhaps they didn’t even come into our lives until recently, after a move across the country or with a new job. Friends are an important part in our lives. They give us advice, a shoulder to cry on, and an ear to listen as we either voice exciting news or scream into the phone (or their face) venting about life. They share in our joyous moments as well as the moments we never ever want to think about.

The list of different friendships for everyone can be as different as night and day, and yet, every single friendship is important and should be cherished. Single friends, married friends, friends with children, friends without children, the list goes on and on. But for a writer, there is one particular friend that stands out: the writer friend.

Having been in the career of accounting for the last thirteen years my list of writing friends was pretty short when I started my novel. In fact, it didn’t have a single name on the sheet. Any writer can agree that having writer friends is the glue that can hold you together at times. They are motivators, supporters, and sounding boards you throw ideas at when you are stuck on a chapter or scene. They also understand in ways non-writer friends can’t the trials and tribulations of the world you have become completely obsessed with.

Let’s face it, even though non-writing friends are sacred, writing friends are the difference between insanity and sanity when you are in the process of writing a novel.

My favorite form of obtaining writer friends is creating my own by coaxing my non-writer friends into the dark side. “I have cookies,” I say with a devilish smile. My lust for recruiting has brought in two of my friends that now have works in progress. I am very proud of them, and will be the first in line for book releases and signing parties! Writing groups, conferences, and workshops are also an excellent way to meet fellow writers, and through all three I have met tons of wonderful people, and formed many friendships. Some of which I hold very dear, and couldn’t see a life without them now.

Aside from the ones who I spend time with on a regular basis and see in person, I have also been blessed with online friends. With just a few simple words typed into the Bing search bar I met a wonderful and kind writer working on her third (which is also historical fiction) novel. Her emails are just as great to receive then some of my oldest friends, and yet, I have never met her in person, and probably never will unless we attend the same conference someplace or have a book signing in each other’s hometown. Even so, I will gladly send a supportive email when I can and will happily buy her books as soon as they hit the shelves.

I have been very blessed with my writing friends. They are my best slaps in the face when a scene sucks, the best motivators when I feel like I just need to give up (death threats are always motivating), and my biggest supporters (aside from my husband and five-year old who nods her head and smiles every time I tell her about the book. Even if I can see my words go right over her head, I still love to see the supportive smile.).

Writing friends are the Ethels to our Lucys in both friendship and helping plot out crazy, harebrained ideas….like writing a novel for instance.