Fall is here!

Finally, a break in the weather and just in time for our Fall Writers Roundup next month on November 3 & 4. I hope to see you all there. We have a great lineup of inspiring and informative workshops, not to mention an agent and editor taking appointments. This is a great opportunity to find out more about the Knight Literary Agency and Avon Books.

Just a reminder, our Writers Roundup will take the place of our regularly scheduled November meeting. We will not meet at La Hacienda on the third Saturday of November.

Congratulations to all those who met their writing goals this month. Praise for those who qualified for PRO status. Kudos to those who submitted manuscripts. Commiserations to those who received rejections. (Don’t worry, you’re in good company.)

On this note, let me just say, writers are a courageous breed.

It takes a good deal of mental strength to send out a project you’ve worked on for months, sometimes years. Putting one word behind the other to create a well-crafted story from a tiny kernel of an idea that kept you awake at night is no light task. And when it’s complete, you give your book a kiss for luck and send it out into the world. You wonder. You worry. You wait, like an impatient parent to hear good news.

You navigate the interim with other projects. But in the back of your mind is the anticipation of “The Call” nestled snugly with the dread of a form rejection.

Some count the sacrifices made, big and small, time away from spouses, children, parents, friends and the like to spend time alone with the computer and a blinking cursor which seems to mock our attempt at brilliance.

But others understand a writer’s life can be very much like their stories. We are, in a way, the characters we write about. Characters must make sacrifices before they find the final piece of the puzzle, before they learn what they need to trump the bad guys, before they can achieve a truly happily ever after. Writers must sacrifice a piece of themselves in order to connect with their readers.

I’ve learned from the submission process that every rejection is a little sacrifice. It requires a conscious decision on my part to move forward. Revise. Keep writing. Resubmit.

I’ve also learned from those who’ve sold that every sale is also a type of sacrifice, a bittersweet celebration of turning over a project they care deeply about to an editor/publisher who will hopefully love the story as much as they do and send it out to readers who will find the gold they’ve woven into the words.

We all come to writing for different reasons. Some stay. Some go. Some get published. Some don’t. Whatever the outcome, if you stick with it for any length of time, you learn to embrace the process.

Yes, writing is about sacrifice. But it’s also about creativity, hope and generosity of spirit.

Most NYT Bestsellers didn’t get where they are without a few rejections. Most found their courage through the fellowship of other writers. They celebrated the minor victories along the way. And they gave back, reaching out to other writers along the way and reaching up, over and around when it was time to reevaluate their careers and move in a different direction.

When the tide comes in, all boats rise. I’m not sure who said it, but it’s true. NT is making waves, thanks to every member who’s given back this year. Thank you to all the board members and volunteers who work behind the scenes without complaint or expectation of personal reward. Thanks to all the speakers who’ve given us inspiration and knowledge to reach for the dream. It is your sacrifice which has made us all stronger.

Cheers to the tide coming in.