Before I forget, which I have a tendency to do lately (hey, I’m old, live with it), I want to give a shout out to my online Lil Sis, Cynthia. She has this great offer for those of you who like to meditate or who like coloring in coloring books….follow this link to her blog and you can download a free meditating coloring book. No tricks to this offer…absolutely free!
Okay, let’s get down to business!
OH, HELL, ONE MORE PLUG
Why not, right? If I can’t support friends on my own blog then who can I support?
Mike Friedman is his name, and if you’ve never read one of this short stories about the Carriage Driver, then you are missing out. So let’s correct that deficiency. Mike has two books out about the Carriage Driver, and here is the link that will take you to those books. Great Christmas gifts for anyone who likes to read….I promise! Mike is also the guy who does the covers for my books, so his talent knows no bounds.
Okay, let’s get down to it!
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Each person holds so much power within themselves that needs to be let out. Sometimes they just need a little nudge, a little direction, a little support, a little coaching, and the greatest things can happen.” Pete Carroll
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
Now I’m talking to all of you, my writer friends, and it’s a message I’m very passionate about.
We need each other!
I’m still blown away, and confused, by this phenomenon where our families don’t really support our writing endeavors. I’ve heard this over and over again from so many writers, and it’s just the strangest damned thing. I can’t wrap my brain around the why of it. I just published my fifth full-length novel and, besides Bev, the rest of my family was pretty ambivalent about it, and I know many of you understand that and have had the same thing happen to you.
So, we need each other. We need our writing friends to offer words of encouragement. We need our writing friends to share our work on social media. We need our writing friends to offer suggestions and give advice.
We need each other!
This is not a competition. I know some writers who think it is, who think, by helping another writer, they are taking sales away from themselves. I know other writers who feel they don’t have time to support others.
It’s all nonsense!
We need each other!
PLAN FOR THE DAY
I’m going to challenge each of you. I’m going to challenge you to support a writer today, either with words of encouragement, or by sharing their work, or, if you have the money, by buying one of their books. Reach out and give of yourselves. I really do believe this is important for each of us to do….and no, I’m not talking about supporting me in this challenge. I get more than enough support from all of you.
Are you up for the challenge?
THANKS TO BUDDY GREG
My friend Greg, a fine freelancer in his own right, offered up this new site where freelance writing jobs are posted…it’s called XPlace and you can find it here. Check it out if you’re looking to make some money.
THAT’S ALL FOR TODAY
I’ll see you next week. I want to wish you all a very Happy and Blessed Holiday Season, and if this isn’t a time of celebrating for you, I wish you a blessed life.
Thank you!
Bill
“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”
Billybuc
Artistry With Words 
Aw, I love your support and shout-outs here for all your blogging/writing friends. You always have been one of the most supportive people I know though and wouldn’t expect any less now. That said, I admit I am a bit prejudice where Cyndi is concerned from our old Hubpages’ Days and couldn’t adore her new site and endeavors more if I tried. So, seeing a plug for her and her new page here made me smile. Happy Tuesday and wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year once again, too!! 🙂
Thank you Janine, and Merry Christmas to you and that beautiful family of yours. Yes, Cyndi is one of the special ones for sure…and so are you.
A friend called me yesterday and we talked for 30 minutes about this very same subject. She wanted to know WHY family members don’t support her in her endeavors. I couldn’t give her an answer. In fact, all I could do was be a good listener and empathize with her. I no longer talk about my writing career with family and friends. They don’t care. Why? Who knows. I do share my writing career with writing groups and total strangers. That’s where I receive the most support. Your books are amazing and the people in your family are missing out if they haven’t picked them up to read. I do agree with you – we writers are all we have and we do better when we reach out to support each other.
Oh, Merry Christmas, Bill!
Marlene, I think I’ll go to the grave still wondering about that family mystery. Oh well, I have my friends to keep me warm. 🙂 you are a gem, my friend, and I am grateful for you. Merry Christmas and hugs from Olympia.
Yes Bill, we do need each other. I wish you great sales on that new book. Well, so darn busy that I cannot hang out longer. Take care and Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas, Greg, and a big old thank you! Have a blessed holiday season, despite the sadness that haunts you.
Indeed, we need to look to one another for motivation to keep writing, publishing Indie, and promoting one another. I wish more families were on board with the writing endeavors!
I do too, Christy, and it baffles me why they aren’t. It may be a mystery I never solve.
Thank you and Merry Christmas, my friend. Hugs from Olympia!
Wishing you a Merry Christmas too, my amazing friend! Hugs
Thank you Christy!
Bill
Reading this post I’m both encouraged and humbled. Encouraged that I’ve got a family that’s supportive of my endeavors and humbled they are.
You’re right, we do need each other and I’ll keep on doing as much as I can
Merry Christmas
Lawrence
Merry Christmas, Lawrence, and you are a lucky man, having a supportive family. If I were you I’d keep them all. 🙂
Hi Bill – Thanks for the shout out. To your point about helping other authors. I try and do just that as their titles are shouted out over Tweeter close to daily. As for families not supporting their writers, that is a mystery. No attention is given to my writing. Anyway, Merry Christmas to you and yours. And I am ready with other ideas for book covers for your continued publications.
Mike, you are one of the best at supporting fellow writers, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am for your help. Thank you so much, and Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Aww, thank you for the shout-out, Big Bro! I appreciate it. 🙂 I’m having so much fun with all the writing and creative stuff.
And you know…the support thing. I’m so psyched that I have a huge supporter in John. I’ve learned to be guarded about whom I share my dreams with – for whatever reason, people will sometimes discourage.
That said, I have a curious issue – if you can call it that. Several IRL and colleagues-from-work friends are following my blog. This is great! I’ve not had that kind of interest in my work before. But it’s also a little weird: I don’t want them to think I’m not committed to my day-job. Alas…in the end, I’m like well…look, I have to be myself. If they can’t handle it and decide that they don’t want me on board, well, then I’ll just have to move on, won’t I? Hehe. But it is kind of neat: I haven’t had friends from real life really take an interest in my work before. It’s almost always been folks I’ve met online. So…the two worlds are meeting (partly why I also went with a different name – to help keep those worlds a little separate).
In any case, congrats on another novel. I’ve often heard that when you sell on Amazon, quantity of books really matters. I’d say you’re well on your way to cracking the novel code. 🙂 You are awesome!!
Lil Sis, I just don’t see that as an issue with your fellow workers. I think everybody and their grandma has a blog these days, or a serious online presence, regardless of their job. Take Trump for example. LOL I say go for it.
And thank you for your continued support over the years. A guy couldn’t ask for a better Lil Sis!
Billy, don’t worry about whether your wider family support you or not in your writing endeavours. I get upset about some friends that I’ve known for quite a long time, or forever, who don’t show any interest in my writing at all. There are a handful that are interested and have read my books, even said wonderful things about them, but can I persuade them to review them? … No, not at all. It’s quite dispiriting, but the thing that has kept me going, is the wonderful support, encouragement, and enthusiasm of my blogging friends. I’m really touched by it.
Okay, so I know this is very short notice, but would you like to be my guest storyteller for January? This would mean emailing the stuff to me by 5th January, for posting on the 7th. The story can be an excerpt from one of your novels, or some flash fiction. Either way, it’s a good plug for your novel or novels, as you can mention it in your short bio, plus providing me with any relevant links you want posted. Here’s the link to my guest storyteller page, which will tell you about what’s required, including word count. https://sarahpotterwrites.com/guest-storytellers-2/
You can let me know if you’re interested in doing this via https://sarahpotterwrites.com/contact/ and I will email you.
🙂
That is so nice of you, Sarah. I would be very happy to do so. I’ll email you and be ready to go by the 5th. Thank you and Happy HOlidays to you.
Fantastic. That’s excellent news 🙂
It is indeed. Thank you again, Sarah!
You know, I’m starting to accept that my family will never understand what I do. It still irritates me – the lack of interest, the unwillingness to ask about my writing, etc. It used to hurt a lot, because writing is so personal – it’s part of our very being… how can we not feel hurt when those closest to us don’t seem to care? But, oh well. I have a very supportive husband thankfully and all you amazing friends. So I guess, that’s good enough for me! 🙂
Great post my friend. You’re so right. We NEED to support each other. Thanks for that gentle reminder.
Hope you’re having a wonderful week and taking some time to get in a little R&R.
Mel, you and I are too easily hurt. I admit, it hurts me that our extended family could care less about my writing. Bev is wonderful, but the five kids? Really don’t even bother to ask me how my writing is coming along. Yes, it hurts
And then there is you and all the others of my online family, always supportive….you’re the best, my friend!
Happy New Year!
It is indeed a blessing to have the support of other writers. Love the way you support to many others and with a great deal of encouragement. I hope your Christmas was great and I wish you the best in 2017.
It was a lovely Christmas, Dee, and I have the same wish for you. Happy New Year my friend, and thank you!
Hi Bill ~ Glad that you have Bev to support your writing, and thank you for developing a platform for supporting fellow writers!
I think that one of the hardest things to relate to regarding family and others who do not know how to support our writing is that it takes many hours to write before we see some recognition for it, and that outside recognition seems to be the cue that validates what we do so that family can consider us real, live writers – like Stephen King, Elizabeth Allende, our local op-ed writer etc.
Happy New Year, Bill!
Karen, thanks for your thoughts. I think you are very close to the truth in your statement. I think our families look at our writing as sort of a hobby until we actually get recognized in some way…then it becomes real. Sigh! It’s just the way it is, I’m afraid.