Everybody Needs a Hand Up

These days, writing is harder than it used to be. The industry's flooded with books. The publishers are pickier. So are the agents. Everybody (including me) thinks they are a writer. It's like we're grains of sand on the beach... and we want to stand out like a black shark's tooth among that tannish-gray sea of sand.

These days, we need a hand from our fellow writers. I have gotten invaluable assistance from colleagues... and I continue to depend on the kindness of strangers, along with the support and guidance of blogosphere acquaintances and writing colleagues.

photo by Sioux--part of a sculpture in Chesterfield, Missouri... The rest of the
piece includes part of a leg, a foot, an arm and a face

What kind of help do I benefit from? Here's some of it:

Writing Accountability Groups: Several years ago, a writer (J. Glenn) recommended starting a writing accountability group. immediately, I knew that having a group to hound me when I got lax would be beneficial.

This is the second year I've been part of an accountability group (the Butt-Kickers). Currently, I've been MIA for a couple of weeks. Am I writing more--this minute--to make up for my procrastination? Well, no. (But I do feel guilty.)


Beta Readers: In the last year I've been lucky enough to have two beta readers wade through my manuscript. (Linda O'Connell was one of my beta readers.) When they were through, I got the manuscript copies back with thoughtful (and thought-provoking) notes scrawled in the margins. Those are true friends--friends who commit to reading a not-perfect draft and are willing to be honest. Their encouragement and belief in my manuscript buoyed my spirits.

Editors: Last year I mustered enough courage to decide on hiring an editor to assess my manuscript. I was fortunate enough to choose Margo Dill. Not only did I pay for her expert services once, I did it twice. (My manuscript needed major revisions. In all honesty, it needed to be completely rewritten so after I used the wrecking ball on it and got the crane out and rebuilt it, I hired her to take a second look at it.) What I got from Margo was so much more than I expected. Because of her numerous suggestions, it's now a manuscript I'm proud of.

Writing Groups: I belong to two different writing groups. We bring copies of the piece we want critiqued, get feedback on our story/essay and get to offer suggestions on the pieces the other writers bring. Don't get me wrong--my stories are vastly improved after a critique session, but I think the biggest benefit is that it gets me writing on a regular basis. We meet every couple of weeks, which means I have to have something to share every couple of weeks.

Right now, when it comes to submitting, my spirits are lower than I'd like. What keeps even a trickle of activity going is the help I get... from my writing accountability group... from my writing friends--both local and afar, known and not-really-known.

How have you helped a fellow writer lately?

                                      There's not many songs that begin with Ringo singing all by himself...

Sioux Roslawski is a middle-school teacher by day and a procrastinating freelance writer by night. When she's not avoiding writing or drooling on the couch (asleep), she rescues dogs for Love a Golden Rescue. Sioux's currently begging and pleading with agents to give her manuscript a once-over. If you're curious, check out her blog.