Tuesday, November 22, 2011

4 Reasons for writers to be thankful


At this time of year, a lot of people reflect on what they're thankful for. As a writer, I'm thankful I have a certain amount of skills. That alone is worth being thankful for. But these days there are other reasons why writers can be thankful.
  1. More opportunities. The publishing world is shifting every day, and it's tough to keep track of what's up and what's down. But all this change is good for us. Writers have more opportunities than ever before. If Plan A doesn't work, try Plan B. If plan B doesn't work, come up with a Plan C. We have choices, and that's something to be thankful for.
  2. Mountains of information. If our hearts are open to learning, there's an abundance of teaching material available to us--most of it for free. Authors' blogs, ebooks and paper books about craft, and links via Twitter. Sure, the amount of information out there can be intimidating, but if we sift through it all and find what works for us, we're connected with unlimited learning potential. Great places to start are The Bookshelf Muse and Writer's Knowledge Base.
  3. Readers. If you're published, you already have them. If you're pre-published, those readers are out there, waiting for your work. Let's give them our best!
  4. Each other. Writers are generous, friendly, and supportive. Being a part of this community is priceless. Feeling down? Need encouragement? Need advice? Throw your (edited) thoughts out there, and fellow writers are sure to offer just what you need. There will be days when you can return the favor.
What else can writers be thankful for? Feel free to add anything that I've missed.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Labels: , ,

26 comments:

  1. A.L. SonnichsenNovember 22, 2011 at 6:36 AM

    Great list, Julie. I'm thankful for my supportive family, especially my sweet husband, who, when I say, "I've gotta go write!" says, "Go ahead!" :) He did that the other day and it made my heart warm. I closed my bedroom door, covered up with the duvet with my laptop on my lap ... Ahhhh! Bliss! And a thankful heart.

    Amy

    ReplyDelete
  2. Alex J. CavanaughNovember 22, 2011 at 6:41 AM

    Excellent list! We can also be thankful that reading is still going strong and every day we gain more potential readers.

    ReplyDelete
  3. TracyNovember 22, 2011 at 6:56 AM

    Julie,
    I so agree with all you suggest as far as what we have to be thankful for, but most importantly is number 4...thankful for all the wonderful people!
    Happy Thhanksgiving!

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownNovember 22, 2011 at 7:26 AM

    What else? The joy of hearing a relative or friend say well done. :0)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Julie MusilNovember 22, 2011 at 8:44 AM

    Those are excellent additions, guys. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Lisa Gail GreenNovember 22, 2011 at 8:59 AM

    I'm thankful for you. If we hadn't met, I don't know where I'd be right now. *sniffles*

    ReplyDelete
  7. Karen Jones GowenNovember 22, 2011 at 9:09 AM

    Writerly thanks? I'm thankful for those who have supported my blog tour during this busy time of year.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Cindy R. WilsonNovember 22, 2011 at 9:23 AM

    That's a great list! I'm so grateful for all those things, particularly other writers (blogging friends, etc.) who are so supportive of me and my writing. Have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
  9. HeatherNovember 22, 2011 at 9:44 AM

    That's a wonderful list!I'm thankful for each and every one of you. You keep me going through the tough stuff. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousNovember 22, 2011 at 10:23 AM

    Wonderful post, Julie. I shared a few of the things I'm thankful for in today's blog post. Happy Thanksgiving!

    ReplyDelete
  11. catherinemjohnson.comNovember 22, 2011 at 11:39 AM

    Well said, Julie. I am thankful for all my blogging friends who make the whole process so much easier and thoroughly enjoyable. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Becca PuglisiNovember 22, 2011 at 12:53 PM

    What a great post! I am thankful for YOU, Julie, and all that you do to add to the writing community. And for plugging The Bookshelf Muse. I'm not gonna lie ;).

    Becca @ The Bookshelf Muse

    ReplyDelete
  13. Karlene PetittNovember 22, 2011 at 1:37 PM

    Excellent reasons we should all be thankful! But for me, this list extends to being thankful for having a venue to release my creativity, explore new worlds, share ideas and concepts, and have the freedom to write. I'm thankful for everyone in this industry who is keeping it alive. And for the shifting of tradition... that is truly opening new opportunities. I'm thankful for you. Happy Thanksgiving!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Leslie S. RoseNovember 22, 2011 at 2:15 PM

    Your list is gold! I'd like to add colorful post-it notes and a legitimate reason to buy lots of office supplies.

    ReplyDelete
  15. UnknownNovember 22, 2011 at 4:57 PM

    Lovely list! And let me just say that I really love Thanksgiving and I would love it if we'd celebrate it too here--but we don't. :(
    Still Happy Thanksgiving! :D

    ReplyDelete
  16. UnknownNovember 22, 2011 at 5:00 PM

    This is the perfect post for this week! Happy Thanksgiving, Julie!

    ReplyDelete
  17. James Garcia JrNovember 22, 2011 at 5:30 PM

    Great post, Julie.
    I'm certainly grateful that after twenty years of dreaming, I am living that dream now.

    I, too, am thankful that my family has allowed me the freedom to see what may come from this.

    However, what I may ultimately be most thankful for are the fellow writers that I have met...because they understand.

    Happy Thanksgiving to all.

    -Jimmy

    ReplyDelete
  18. Michele ShawNovember 22, 2011 at 5:52 PM

    Of your 4, I'm most grateful for number 4. My own to add: writing time. Love it when I get several hours strung together. In general, I'm grateful for almost everything. All of it shapes me in some way.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Rachna ChhabriaNovember 22, 2011 at 7:04 PM

    Great post, Julie. I am currently in an extremely thankful mood as my plotting is going well.
    Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Ghenet MyrthilNovember 22, 2011 at 7:33 PM

    I totally agree. I'm thankful you write this blog. :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Loree HuebnerNovember 22, 2011 at 9:59 PM

    Well said!

    Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, Julie.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Jemi FraserNovember 23, 2011 at 4:34 AM

    So very true, Julie! We need to remember how many people are always there to help others! Enjoy your Thanksgiving! :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Emy ShinNovember 23, 2011 at 6:52 PM

    Lovely list, Julie! Hope you'll have a wonderful Thanksgiving. :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. Nancy ThompsonNovember 23, 2011 at 9:24 PM

    Thanks for calling these things to my attention. No matter what, people will always read. So we should always write.

    Happy Thanksgiving!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Laurisa White ReyesNovember 24, 2011 at 7:23 AM

    I'm thankful for a husband who supports my writing addiction. And for a publisher who is my #1 biggest fan.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Cynthia Chapman WillisNovember 26, 2011 at 5:56 AM

    These are fabulous things to be thankful for. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)