Guys, it is already May. Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and because of that I wanted to take this time to talk about the people who support us in what we do, whether they are friends or family or something else entirely. I’ve certainly been blessed with plenty of people who do just that for me.
Many people view writing as a solitary endeavor, but that is certainly not the case. While the act of writing our first draft is largely solitary, after this it is absolutely critical to involve other people in the process. In order to produce a good piece of work, we need to rely on beta readers, editors, copyeditors, and, in some cases, publishers, artists, and technical specialists.
Beyond the technical process of writing, we still need people. We can’t do this alone. Writing is hard and discouraging and not always as rewarding as we would like. For some of us, we rely on family or friends to support us in our endeavors, whether they are writers or not. For those of us with unsupportive family or friends, we may need to look outside our bubbles and enter into internet circles or local writing groups to find people who support us.
Whatever your situation, I hope you take the opportunity this week to thank the people who have helped you along the way. They truly are our muses, our solid foundations, our inspiration, and our warm fuzzy feelings.
To get things started, I’ll list the people who have been here for me.
For writing, my sister, Becca, has been one of my biggest supporters. She was always the first one to be excited about what I was working on, the first to be impressed with my new ideas or first drafts, the one who always told me to go for it no matter what anyone else said. She was confident that I could do what I wanted to do with my writing, and that’s meant the world. I’ve also been blessed with some really great friends who believe in me and my stories, and that’s kept me going when it’s been hard. They have been my beta readers, my sounding boards, and, most importantly, my best friends and unrelated family.
For life, school, and work, my parents have been my rocks. They keep me grounded and remind me that life will be okay. They keep me amused and safe and still provide for me in various ways emotionally and physically. I couldn’t ask for better.
And then there’s my brother, Josh, who always offers to bash some heads in when people are jerks. Gotta love it.
So there you have it. The people who keep me going.
What about you? Who can you thank this week for what you’ve been able to do? Share in the comments!
Selina J. Eckert 