NaPiBoWriWee 2011 Day Five – Bedtime Blog!
Shortest. Blog. EVER. It’s almost midnight PST and I just got home after having dinner with our NaPiBoWriWee Guest Author/Artist Erin Eitter Kono (her blog here: https://paulayoo.com/napi/?p=55).
My main thought is – during NaPiBoWriWee or any time you are busy in your writing batcave, it helps to have a writing buddy! Someone you can pitch ideas to or ask to read/critique your work, and vice versa. A writing buddy is a great safety net and lifeline, especially when you are feeling frustrated with your writing and/or suffering from writer’s block or self-doubt. So my Bedtime Blog advice is that you should find a writing buddy that you can bond with – either via emails or phone calls or fun get-together events like dinner or brunch etc. – because writing can be too lonely at times.
So the next time you’re stuck on a book or having trouble writing, set up some time to hang out with a writing buddy to rejuvenate your enthusiasm and get you excited again about writing. I had a blast hanging out with Erin. Our conversation helped re-ignite my excitement to write! Today (Day 5) was not a good writing day for me because I had a long and busy day at work but hanging out with Erin got me excited so I’m now about to write. Meanwhile, Oreo my cat (pictured above) took advantage of my absence and stole my spot on the bed. LOL! 🙂
So that’s my quick bedtime advice. For the comments section of this blog, I’m curious… do you have a writing partner or writing buddy who cheers you on? Do you meet with a writing group online or in real life? How do writing buddies help you with your writing?
For Day 6, stay tuned for the daily 9 PM (PST) Good Morning blog with some writing craft tips, plus TWO guest author blogs. Stay tuned for a 12 PM (PST) Guest Author/Artist blog with Don Tate and a 5 PM (PST) Guest Author blog with Carolyn Crimi!
Until then… Happy Writing! WRITE LIKE YOU MEAN IT! 🙂
I really like this idea. However, my life is not normal! There are so many things that work against me in finding friends, let alone writing buddies. 😛
1) I work full time
2) I am an older mom. When I meet moms of my son’s friends I tend to be 10 years their senior.
3) I’m such a geek and never really fit in
4) my husband is a disabled vet so I take care of him when I am not working or taking care of our son or house work. It is very stressful and many people just don’t understand or want to be bothered with someone like me.
5) Finding time (and motivation) to write is always a huge challenge for me because of #4
6) I’ve always had a hard time making friends anyway.
7) online is really my only source of “friendship and support” but that isn’t always beneficial or good timing or as personal as I would like.
So, how do you do it? How do you find a writing buddy? How do you make friends? That’s always been my biggest question! 😀
Hi LadyJai! Yes, i agree, sometimes it can be very hard to find someone you can trust and hang out with when you are working full time and dealing with health issues (many thanks to your wonderful husband and all our veterans for serving our country!). I think sometimes email/Skype/online friendships can fill that void until we find that special writing buddy or new friend in real life that we can see face to face. I definitely agree real contact can add a personal element that is missing online, but I’m glad you have online support and friendships that can sustain you for now and I hope you can meet more folks. The Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators is a great national resource with branches all over the country where I have found some lifelong friends that I can see in real life or online that truly help ease the solitude of writing. If you haven’t checked it out, go here: http://scbwi.org. 🙂 best, Paula
Writing buddies are writing life savers sometimes. I think everything I write is golden. My critter shows me that all my writing is NOT golden and there are words I can delete to make my stories better. She keeps me honest. It’s funny, I can see where she needs to make her writing better, but I can’t see it in my own.
Love Oreo. 🙂
No! I don’t have a writing buddy, but I would really like one. I would prefer someone close to home. Trying to communicate via email is sometimes tricky. I think I’ll get on to that soon – thanks for the tip, Paula 🙂
Hi, Paula.
I agree a writing buddy makes the process sweeter. I’m lucky that several of my kids write-some professionally–and we all like to make each other laugh. So, even if we choose not to share our own writing with each other (sometimes we do, sometimes we don’t), we enjoy reading aloud funny things we’ve run across. I also clip items out of the newspaper (help! I’m becoming my mother!!)to send to my grown kids, not to offer advice, but because I know they will find it hilarious.
Hi Paula,
This is my first post even though it is my third time doing NaPiBoWriWee. I have a great writing buddy and she has joined me this year in trying to write 7 picture books this week. We have been bouncing ideas back and forth and it has made this week much more fun. And, we’re both a bit behind so we can encourage each other.
One thing I have noticed is that my manuscripts are really bad rough drafts. With each ms I have gotten stuck without an ending. But, there’s glimmers of good in each and I will have projects to work on in the weeks ahead.
Paula is so right about having a writing buddy. It’s taken me awhile but I finally have one from twitter. Yup, met my crit partner on twitter. And I’m so happy and very lucky! I also have an “illo” buddy I skype with once a week. I met her through scbwi and we’ve been skyping every Monday morning since January. I wish I had done all this sooner. It makes a big difference: morale booster, motivation booster (external accountability) and you get such great suggestions from others. Plus, it really teaches you to listen and to evaluate other people’s work in a constructive way. And it’s fun!!
And I’ve learned about myself and the trust it takes to share your babies (work, ideas).
All good stuff!
Paula, I second your suggestion to LadyJai to check out the scbwi chapter near her. Our chapter here is diverse, with both beginners and experienced members, but so supportive of all. They offer plenty of programs that teach the craft as well as opportunities to join critique groups either face to face or via email.
Lots of writers are kind of shy and aren’t “joiners” by nature, so you’d be in good company, LadyJai.
I’ve found great support through writing challenges. After Kat Apel’s Month of Poetry, I felt I was ready for a greater commitment. SCBWI is a great source for crit groups. I emailed people who I knew were in crit groups and asked for advice. The resulting advice was really helpful in rearranging my thinking about what I wanted from a crit partner and my vision moving forward. I am in the process of auditioning for a group. I really like them, so keeping my fingers crossed that they will like me too. My advice is to keep asking, keep doors open with people who you relate to whether online or off. One of these days the solution to fit your circumstances will appear. This thread has opened up my mind to even more possibilities.
Thanks Paula, for asking the question. The topic is timely and valuable to those who are looking.