We Write Alone
But we need a community to keep going, get published and build an author career...PLUS confronting the Saggy Middle & some opportunities for YOU
Happy June!
Why We Need Writer Friendships
I sooooo appreciate the friends I’ve made through the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA). Seriously, people I’ve only known for a year or two have become cherished friends and colleagues. Some of them generously blurbed my forthcoming novel, CAVE OF SECRETS. Thank you in particular to Annie Cathryn, Lisa Williamson Rosenberg, Merle Saferstein (whom I met longer ago than my involvement with WFWA) and Michelle Glogovac for reading and endorsing my second novel!
Through WFWA, I’ve learned so much about writing, publishing, marketing and other author-career pursuits. And, I’ve made friends who love writing as much as I do and who are incredibly talented. I have a stack of books in my house by fellow WFWA members that I can’t wait to read—there are just so many that I can’t keep up!
Two other groups have been hugely supportive sources of inspiration, friendship and camaraderie: Peaker Writers and the American Society of Journalists and Authors.
Peaker Writers is a subgroup of My Peak Challenge, which is a program I’ve belonged to for a couple years now, which promotes community and healthy living. In addition to all the stuff I get from MPC, there are subgroups by interest and location, and that’s where I found Peaker Writers. These writers, from all over the world, are kind, encouraging and so varied in talent and pursuit—it’s amazing.
While writing is a solitary pursuit, there’s nothing like having a community of writer-friends to have your back, show you the ropes and boost your career. One more great source: I participated in a virtual writers retreat at the end of 2020 led by Tara Mohr. It was wonderful and I met some writers who have become dear friends that I Zoom with every single week since. That’s four years, running, and we are all over the world.
The friendships that can bloom from a chance meeting in the digital sphere are simply amazing. Affirming.
Especially because we writers tend to be solitary people, introverts often, so when you find a like-minded soul-friend, it’s a true gift. Where are you finding your writerly support?
Speaking of which…my next free Writealong will be Saturday, June 1st at 11 a.m. ET. Join me on Zoom. Add your name to the reminder list here.
The Saggy Middle
I’m there, you guys. Writing my third novel, and I’m stuck in the saggy middle, which is a thing. If you know, you know. If you don’t, try to imagine: You’re all hyped up to write a fantastic book. You have a clear vision of how the story will unfold, where the characters begin, where they’ll end up and sort of how they’re going to get there.
So you write. And write and write and write. You get 10K words down, then hit 20K, 30K…and somewhere between there and let’s say 50K, you think, “How am I actually going to do this? Get to that brilliant end. I can see it but it’s fuzzy, and there’s a lot of leaping to do from here to there, so…”
If you’re like me, you say that you haven’t written in a while because your son is graduating from high school and there’s a final band concert, band banquet, robotics banquet, honors convocation, blah blah blah. And oh yeah, your older son is graduating from college in another state and of course you’re planning the catered dinner for all the family and directing everyone to campus and reminding them of the schedule.
And then you forgot to buy cards for the boys, and you write a letter to the high school graduate on this milestone, so then you have to write one for the college son, too. You order a cake from a baker in another city for the younger son’s 18th birthday, which happens to occur during the older son’s graduation weekend, and you work really hard to make everything walking distance because your ex-husband wants to be there and of course commencement is on Shabbat and he’s religious so he can’t drive anywhere until after sundown.
It’s just a taste of this hypothetical (um, yeah, no, it’s ME!) rationale for why you’re not getting back to the book that will be brilliant when you finally finish it, but the days and weeks pass and still, you’re not there.
The saggy middle SUCKS.
So the other day, I sat down to write, not from my plan or outline but just a scene with one of the protagonists (there are two) because I want her to be missing her hometown and her parents, and there hadn’t been much yet in the book to establish that part of the story.
I just wrote a scene. I thought of how Diana Gabaldon writes the scenes for her Outlander books, and sometimes she starts from an object. (Watch this video - it’s short and fascinating and brilliant!)
I don’t know if the scene is any good but God it felt GREAT to be writing again. And to be back with these characters
Of the 81% of people who say they want to write a book, only 15% actually start writing, only 6% make it to the halfway mark and only 3% finish.
WOW.
I work with a lot of writers who toil with their book projects for years. It doesn’t have to be that way. But you should know what you’re in for and that the saggy middle awaits. You can’t get around it, sorry. The only way through is through.
Which is why having writer-friends is so IMPORTANT.
I am beyond grateful for those I can call on a moment’s notice and seek validation. Find your community. I’m happy to help.
Classes & Opportunities
There’s still room for YOU in my summer classes including…
Demystifying Show, Don’t Tell (starts June 13)
Building Writer Confidence & Dealing with Self-Doubt (June 22)
Planning Your Novel (starts July 30)
the Accountability Cohort (ongoing)
I am working now on the program details for The Writers Community 2025, and will be opening spaces in September. I will also be offering a Book Writers Community in 2025. Stay tuned for those details!
Thank you so much for reading the Rebel Author Newsletter. I write to share insights, tips and personal stories about writing and publishing. If you’re looking for something that I haven’t yet covered, let me know! I am always open to feedback. Paid subscribers are eligible for monthly book giveaways (the May giveaway is No Country for Eight-Spot Butterflies by Julian Aguon) and occasional live coaching calls.
Now go write.
All love,
Lynne
Love this, you, and your books! 🥰 Honored to be included. ❤️
Thank you. I loved that.