In the Company of Writers

Along with the mid-December blizzards here in Grey County, there’s been a flurry of activity around the launch of a new book.

This blog, I promise, will be the last sentimental gushing from me regarding the Ascribe Writers’ recent project of publishing the short story collection, Beneath the Surface. But gush I must, for just a few paragraphs.

Completing the story-writing marked the end of the project in one sense but once the books were in our hands, the journey continued to unfold.

There were a few nice surprises in store; the pleasure of seeing the stories in book form (I only fleetingly felt like an imposter prior to printing), the fun of the official group launch and comments and reactions from friends who’ve read the book.

But what caught me off guard the most was the feeling that my stories had been elevated, improved somehow, when I saw them in print. They belonged; tucked in alongside the wonderful stories from my fellow writers. This is more than happenstance springing from keeping company with such talented folks.

The group created a writing culture for themselves and I certainly benefit from being part of this network. It’s a sort of ‘the sum is greater than its parts’ phenomenon, like a sports team or band of musicians.

Anyone engaged in the joys and challenges of writing knows it is a solitary and often isolating experience, so there are endless benefits to surrounding oneself with like-minded others. If you nurture your own writing culture, you have at your avail: inspiration, mutual support, problem solving, validation, technical advice, information sharing, motivation, favourite reads recommendations, and the list goes on. Amazingly, this can even take place over a quick cup of coffee. Who am I kidding? It’s always best to set aside at least a couple of hours if you’re getting together with a writer friend.

As always, my admiration and appreciation are extended to this small but mighty group of writers who, together, made our project come alive. I wish them a joyful Christmas season and a wonderful 2017.

The excitement of publishing and launching Beneath the Surface was a great way to wrap up this year. And speaking of wrapping, I have six beautifully wrapped copies of a great short story collection waiting under the tree for Christmas morning.

Shopping done. Merry Christmas!