Last week, I read pages from my novel-in-progress to my writers group for the first time.
Anyone who’s ever done the same knows what a big deal that is. And how terrifying!
I liken it to a clip of a diver I saw on social media. She must have been in extreme sports because the height of the board was insane. Skyscraper high.
As she tilted her phone down to show the enormous drop, my stomach lurched.
She calmly walked to the back of the board simultaneously widening her eyes to camera and half-grimacing. Was that excitement? Fear?
In the next shot from afar, she stood on tippy toes before somersaulting like a fierce ninja backward into the void.
She splashed neatly into the water like a tiny rocket and in a flash, the safety divers surrounded her.
On dry land, she bounced around with excitement (and probably some relief).
That, my friend, is what it’s like to read your pages to other people for the first time.
I’m so proud of how far this small but mighty in-real-life group has travelled since March. The fact that we all feel comfortable enough to share pages in such a short space of time is huge.
Mahoosively, ginormously, gloriously huge.
The trust we’ve established, in what has become a safe space, is mind-blowing and that’s the beauty of a writers group.
One writer barely had a concept a few months ago, and now has a complete outline of her very first novel. Another two are sharing intimate details of their memoirs.
It can be vulnerable but it’s also incredibly empowering.
I’m still finding my way with this book but the support is most welcome. Their critique made a lot of sense and because of that, I’ve already sifted through what resonated for me and reworked a couple of elements.
Critique and discussion help to make this nebulous thing you’re creating home alone seem suddenly more three-dimensional, more real.
It also helps that we have the most beautiful setting.
Shout out to Read on Sea, which is not just a wonderful independent bookstore, but a cafe and wine bar. Hello, idea of total heaven.
There’s nothing quite as motivating as being surrounded by hundreds of best-sellers!
And in the interest of transparency, you should probably know that I eschewed my usual coffee for a fortifying glass of Malbec. It would have been rude not to.
Mostly though, I’m amazed that I’ve written more pages since we met. So this week, I’ll continue to climb that big ole ladder to the top of the diving board.
See you on the way up.
Lisa