THANKFUL

Writing for a living can be scary, frustrating, exhausting, and just plain hard. And things like rejection or lack of support from the people around us can cause us to lose sight of all the wonderful things about writing.

So, since Thanksgiving is a great time for meditating on good things: here are some of the things I’m most grateful for relating to writing.

I’M THANKFUL FOR READERS
Without readers, writing can still be a wonderful pastime. It can help you make sense of the world around you and within you. It can help us work through pain. It can let us relive joy. But all of those things are heightened when you bring readers to the table. Readers make the things we write bigger, because the reader brings thoughts, loves, hates, and beliefs into the reading experience and that means the words I write, or you write, can expand beyond our imagination. And readers give us an opportunity to effect. There are few things I enjoy more than making readers laugh or scare them silly or making them think. Readers rock. I’m so glad to have them.

I’M THANKFUL FOR EDITORS
Without the editors, I can only be as good as my own skill level will allow. Without editors, I’m not as clear or as bright as I am with them. Editors are the first people to ask us questions about our decisions. They are the first people to give us a taste of the writer/reader relationship. And I am completely aware of how desperately I need editors.

For more of what I’m thankful for and inspiration to start your own grateful list, list to the full episode.