Tenth anniversary: A note of gratitude

This month, my writers’ group, organized by Rabbi Jamie Arnold, celebrated its tenth anniversary. I remember very clearly the first meeting and how intimidated I was by the other members Rabbi Jamie had invited:

·       Amy, a respected published author and writing teacher

·       Diane, an award-winning, bestselling mystery writer

·       Joanne, author of 22 books, one of which has sold millions of copies worldwide

·       Rabbi Jamie himself, a talented song and sermon writer

And who was I? A co-author of several nonfiction books that had sold in the low three digits.

That first meeting, we spent ten minutes responding to a writing prompt. I don’t remember the topic, but I do remember that my writing was strained, boring, actually pretty awful. I wondered if I should continue going to the group. I knew I had a lot to learn.  I was concerned that I had little to offer in return.

One of the ground rules we established was that every participant had to be working on a book or other piece of writing…no lookie-loos. I had resolved that I would continue to  sharpen my writing and editing skills by staying in this group, so I had to come up with a project. The two things that most engaged me were my grandchildren and my study of Mussar, Jewish ethics. I decided I could combine the two by telling stories about how the grandkids were informing my Mussar journey; how I was practicing the soul traits, like patience and gratitude, through our joint experiences.

And so my adventure began. I started writing and nervously bringing chapters to the group for critique. The group made me a better writer. Amy taught me to be sparer, to cut the fat. Diane reminded me to show rather than tell. Joanne encouraged the humor and eliminated the grammatical missteps. And Rabbi Jamie helped me hone my Mussar references.

Five years after I began, with the support, friendship and mentoring of these amazingly talented and generous authors as well as my Colorado Press Women’s writing group,* I published my memoir, “Your Love Is Blasting in My Heart, A Grandmother’s Journey.”  Since that time, I’ve written a monthly blog for my writing groups to critique. (Note: No one saw this one in advance  of publishing!)

Over our ten years together, members of our group have shared the frustrations of rejected manuscripts and inattentive agents, and the successes of new books published and awards won.

I’m grateful for this wonderful opportunity of lifelong learning and growth. I’m no longer intimidated because I know constructive criticism, expressed lovingly by gracious authors, has and will continue to make me a better writer. And I have found a way to contribute in my own small way by making mindful editing and writing suggestions to even my most esteemed colleagues.

Happy anniversary and thank you, Rabbi, Amy, Diane and Joanne. Here’s to many more years of sharing our writing!

*Special thanks to CPW writing group members: Judy of blessed memory, Donna, Dala, Ann, Tara, Gay, Sandy, Lorraine, Nancy, Sharon, Mart and Cecilia.