Standing on the Shoulders of Giants ~ Jacquolyn McMurray

Photo by Evan Wise on Unsplash

Issac Newton once said, "If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."  

Is there any creative out there who can honestly say they have never utilized the wisdom of those who came before us?

I know I can't.

Personally, I'm clear that any successes I've had on my writing journey can be attributed to my writing community.

When I started my writing journey in my early twenties, I had no appreciation for the advantages of being part of a writing community. Maybe that's because I was too self-conscious to admit that one of my dreams was to become a published author.  I imagined that writing was a solitary pursuit, and although many parts of the process ARE solitary, it's the time interacting with other writers and writing teachers that has sustained me for decades. Left on my own, the critic in my head would have eventually won out and I would have abandoned my dream.

It wasn't until 2001 that writing became a routine part of my life all because we teachers went on strike. Prompted by the unity a strike affords, a group of teachers decided that when we were not on the picket line, we would do some writing exercises together to pass the time.  

Voila! My first writing group was established.

We made a commitment to meet once a month to explore writing. In the beginning, we did a lot of Natalie Goldberg writing exercises, shared our writing, gave one another feedback, and dutifully studied the hefty Writers' Market for places to send our work. During spring and summer breaks from school, we'd rent a place for a weekend retreat away from our families. We took writing classes, entered contests, collected rejections, and forged forward. 

Nineteen years later, the two of us who remain in the group are multi-published authors who continue to take classes and embrace the knowledge of our favorite writing gurus.

A big part of my writing community are author friends I've met at conferences and writers' retreats. We are bonded through our love of creating and willingness to learn from those who came before us.

I am forever grateful to all those who supported and encouraged me in my dream of becoming a published author.  

  

Unwanted by Linda Boulanger

When I first started writing again after so many years of not picking up a pen, I thought Christian Fiction was the way I would go, especially after my friend, Pat Sipperly, pulled me into a writing group called FaithWriters. They had weekly challenges with different levels and, low and behold, the first story I entered won in its level. I was shocked but elated as well. I was also hooked and continued on, working my way up with a win here and there until I received the highest honor... an Editor's Choice.

Looking back, those wins may not have been that great to most people, but to me... I may as well have won the lottery. They gave me faith in my stories and my ability to write, and they pushed me to explore where I wanted to go as a author.

It took me several years to come to the realization that my heart is in Historical Romance. I've dabbled in a lot of genres along the way... including that time in Christian Fiction. That's a time that will always be near and dear to my heart and I'd like to share my Editor's Choice winning story with you. It's an idea that I think I'll eventually work into one of my Historical Romances, because I really like it. It touches the heart. It's called Unwanted. Enjoy!

Betrayal. Is there a more justifiable reason to be angry? I had every reason in the world to be bitter. I was swallowed up in the deepest, darkest time of my life, but God wasn’t giving me any slack.

I had done nothing wrong!

I was still seething as I looked down at the tiny bundle wrapped in soft pink. She returned my gaze, her eyes filled with trust. They were the bluest eyes I’d ever seen. Sweet. She looked so sweet.

I picked her up, feeling her tiny nose against my cheek, soft yet firm, like nothing I had ever felt before. She nestled against me as I held her in my arms. I breathed deeply, the aroma of baby lotion, powder, and her distinctive scent filled my head. She smelled like him, her father…. my husband.

I didn’t want to love her, vowed I would not the day he told me about her and that he wanted to bring her home. To our home! His child with another woman… brought into this world by a chance encounter… and I was supposed to take her in and love her as my own.

Preposterous!

I had resolved to harden my heart toward her. Bitterness had tried to creep in.

I’d already made my peace with my husband… with an awful lot of help from God. I had come to terms with the fact that, perhaps, it had even been my obsession with the need for a baby that had driven him away for a time. It had been difficult enough but we’d gotten through it. And then he’d learned of this child, his child, to be given away without a care from her real mother.

And now, here she was, so small, so helpless. She was soft within my arms, looking to me to take care of her, to show her a world where someone cared.

“God, how could you do this to me? How can I do for her what is needed when my heart is hurting so?”

I’d been denied my own child in life. Years of trying had left me with nothing but a hardened heart, wounded pride, and a taste of bitterness in my mouth. The barren woman… and now this child.

She began to fuss. I laid her back and she looked at me again. I was touched by the total lack of judgment in her eyes. She had no idea how tormented I was or that I had planned not to love her, only that she needed someone to take care of her and that I seemed to be doing a pretty good job at that very moment. Her own mother didn’t care, didn’t love her; had not even loved my husband as I did.

I brushed the palm of my hand across the soft down that covered the top of her head. She liked it. Her eyes took on that dreamy look and I smiled. The realization of how much she needed me washed over me with great cleansing waves.

I leaned down and kissed her forehead. Her eyes fluttered, and then shut. I could feel her breath. Soft sweet whispers caressed my face as I rubbed her cheek with my own.

In her sleep, she smiled. It was an angel’s smile.

I couldn’t hate her.

My bitterness faded away. She was the answer to my prayer for a child.

I resolved right then to be her mother, to be that someone who would love her no matter what. I thanked God for giving me the chance to make certain she never felt unwanted.

Six Reasons Why Writing is Better with a Group ~ by Author Kristin Wolfgang

Darlene Javar and Jacquolyn McMurray writing

     Most people consider writing a solitary task. Thoughts travel through fingers to tap on a keyboard. The end goal is to share writing with readers, but not until it is complete: edited, revised and published.  That may be the stereotype, but it turns out: writing is better with friends.

Darlene Javar reading her published poetry to us 

     When people discover I’m a published writer, they want to know how I got started. I’ve always loved to write, but it wasn’t until I was invited to join a group that I started taking my writing seriously. 

     The six reasons why writing is better in a group are: motivation, learning about genres of writing, critiquing, exploring markets, writing retreats and friendship.

 

Novelist Jacquolyn McMurray

1: Motivation

When you know you’ll be meeting with your writing group every month, you are motivated to write! We bring drafts to group to share, give each other recommendations on improvements and bring back improved drafts the next month. Many Friday nights, I sit at my computer working on my writing so it will be ready to share the next day at group.

2: Genre Exploration 

For the first eight years, our group had four members. We were interested in different genres, but we all had the goal of becoming published authors. Several of us tried short stories, essays, and poetry. We did writing exercises together using Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones and prompts from other books. When we heard about NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) in 2009, two of us decided to spend extra time writing together in November and cranked out our first novels.

Beginning writers should try out a few genres to see which they like most. I went from essay to short story to poetry to songs to mystery novels to educational nonfiction to romance novels to children’s chapter books!

Writing goals- posted! 

3: Critique

      Beginning writers are easily intimidated when it comes to sharing their writing. It can feel like taking your first-born baby to the doctor. You know you need to have her checked, but you fear what the doctor might say about your perfect little darling. To protect our egos, our group has strict rules about how to critique. Everyone brings printed copies of their work so that each member has a copy. The writer reads their work aloud while the other members take notes on their copies. The writer often tells the group what they want from the critique.

      One of our members only writes poetry and she often wants to talk about specific words. She asks questions like: “What images come to mind and how do the words work with the other words in the poem?” A short story writer may want to discuss only one part of their story. The most important rule is to focus on the writing. Be careful not to attack. It is important to share what is good about the writing as well as what needs improvement. 

Poet Darlene Javar in California

4: Markets

        Our group also spends time sharing the writing technique books and magazines that we own. We share and investigate publishers, agents, and tools like Scrivener and querytracker.com. We critique query letters, synopses and book proposals. We share contests and upcoming events. We have attended several local writing conferences together.

5: Retreats

     In 2012, I moved to Texas. We vowed to have yearly retreats, so we’d write together for a week every year. Setting aside a whole week for just writing is a great idea. We set goals on the first night and planned to keep any extra outings to a minimum. We walk daily and keep a good supply of chocolate.  For the five years I was gone, we met in five different places and wrote.

  

     In 2017, I moved back to Hawai´i and we’re still meeting once a month with yearly four-day retreats.  This year, Jacquolyn and I are working on a Christmas novella duet (two shorter novels sold together) to self-publish in November 2019. We’re both working on our own projects—my chapter book series and her historical romance. Darlene still writes poetry and joins us when she can. We’re also working with new writers to help them get started and form their own writing groups.

 Novelists Jacquolyn McMurray and Joanne Jaytanie (visiting Hawai´i) and me

6: Friendship

     Besides the wealth of writing, critiquing and sharing we have done, my three writing partners have become lifelong friends. I can honestly say that without our writing group, I wouldn’t be writing today.  

     How can you find a writing group? Talk to people around you about writing. Go to local writing conferences. Look on the internet for groups in your area. 

     Author Kristin Wolfgang wrote 102 Reading Response Lessons and Star of My Heart, a sweet romance novella. She teaches 5th and 6th grade at Volcano School of Arts and Sciences and has four lovely children. She is working on a Christmas Romance duet with Jacquolyn McMurray and is writing her chapter book series (ages 6-12): Animal Saving Sisters. She’d love to hear from you! Send her your comments and questions at mskriswolf@gmail.com.  ALOHA!