Saturday, May 19, 2012

Who's packing your parachute?



I'm fascinated by the story of Captain Charles Plumb, a Navy fighter pilot who was a prisoner of war during the Vietnam war. He tells how he was approached by a man in a restaurant.

The man said, "You flew jet fighters in Vietnam. You were on the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down. You parachuted into enemy hands and spent six years as a prisoner of war."

Captain Plumb responded, "How in the world did you know all that?"

"Because I packed your parachute."


Amazing, huh? If the parachute hadn't been packed correctly, Plumb's story would've ended differently.

Captain Plumb says: "So the philosophical question is this: How's your parachute packing coming along? Who looks to you for strength in times of need? And perhaps, more importantly, who are the special people in your life who provide you the encouragement you need when the chips are down? Perhaps it's time right now to give those people a call and thank them for packing your chute."


When I think about our writing lives, and who's packing our parachutes, these amazing folks come to mind:

Supportive Family & Friends--In my opinion, if your family and friends are supportive of your writing efforts,  you've already won half the battle. When I came out of the closet as a writer, my family and friends didn't laugh at me or roll their eyes. They didn't shoot down my dreams or trample over my confidence. Quite the contrary. They're my biggest cheerleaders, and I'm grateful for every single one of them.

Are you out of the closet as a writer? If so, how did your friends and family react when you told them?

Critique Partners--Our critique partners offer their time and energy to help make our manuscripts better. They offer pats on the back for what we do right, and constructive feedback for something that doesn't work well. They lift us up when we're feeling discouraged, and cheer with us when we achieve milestones. My critique partners have made this journey a heck of a lot of fun.

Do you belong to a critique group, or do you have beta readers? How have they inspired you?


Agents & Editors--If you're lucky enough to have an agent or editor, you've personally experienced their hard work and determination. I don't have experience with a book editor (yet!), but my agent is a tireless advocate for her clients. Karen Grencik is smart, kind, and encouraging. Even if I never sign a book deal, I'll be glad that she's in my life.

Have you worked with agents or editors? How did they improve your manuscripts?

Blogger Buddies--Blogger/writer buddies help each other with blog tours, and spread the word about book releases. They share new agent alerts, or what writing lessons they've learned. I'm constantly amazed by how awesome all of you are. I know I sound like a broken record, but seriously, you rock my world.

You guys inspire me every single day, and I'm so thankful for you.

As evidenced by the Random Act of Kindness Blitz by the wonderful gals at The Bookshelf Muse, we've seen amazing kindness from one writer to another. We value the people in our lives, those who have packed our parachutes, and it's great when we take a moment to thank them. And who knows, maybe you're packing someone else's parachute right now, and making a positive difference in their life.

Who's packed your parachute lately? Do they know how grateful you are? Please share!


photo credit

24 comments:

  1. There are a ton of people who've helped me along the way and hopefully I've let each one of them know. And any comment I leave or email I send, I think about its impact and always try to be positive and uplifting. Sometimes we just don't know who we will affect with our words.
    Wonderful story, Julie!

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  2. What an awesome post! Yes, my son & husband have always supported my writing. And simply put, my CPs have made me the writer I am today. The blogging community has welcomed me with loving open arms, especially now that I'm just starting to put together my blog tour. And while I'm not expecting to hear from my editor 'til Monday, I heard through my pub all the wonderful praise she had for my book. That lifted me like nothing else in this world. All these people have supported & guided me, cheered me on & loved me. My parachute has been well-packed & I will never forget what each & every one has done for me. Without them, I would have fallen to earth in a miserable broken heap. Thank you all! XOXOXO

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  3. Julie, my husband packs my parachute. He is my biggest cheerleader and the absolute bestest friend I've ever had. Without him, I would have quit a long time ago.

    Great post, Smart Lady. :)

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  4. Love this post! Definitely blogger friends, writers friends, family (especially my kids--they were totally understand that this entire week I would be tied to the computer while I managed RAOK Week) and critique groups!

    Angela

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  5. Cleverly put, I love this. My hubby, my critique partners, and all of you wonderful blogging buddies pack my parachute. And you do a darn fine job. Thank you! :)

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  6. Wow, that's quite a story! My husband, parents, sister, and brothers are my biggest supporters, but all of my family and friends are cheering me on! My blog buddies are super important to me, too. They're definitely some of the best parachutes out there!! :)

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  7. I'm also lucky enough to have positive people around me. Can't imagine what it must be like not to be encouraged on this difficult journey.

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  8. Great post! Blogger and writer friends definitely pack my parachute. I realized that I really shouldn't take them for granted. Thank goodness for parachute packers, too. :)

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  9. Great story Julie. I'm so grateful for all my writing/blogging buddies.

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  10. You said it, Julie. Family and of course my beyond amazing critique partners make this journey a blast. I have to give a shout out to work colleagues, my fellow teachers. They have been behind me from the get go.

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  11. Thanks for sharing the wonderful story and post. My family, friends, critique partners, and blogging buddies have all been amazing. Thanks for being a constant source of inspiration, Julie!

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  12. Love that story!!!

    My crit buddies are amazing - I lucked into a pot of gold when I stumbled into a crit group on AQC! :)

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  13. Hi, Julie. How's the house coming? Are you getting any rest or writing in? Hope so.
    I would like to echo your last point. My family gives me the space and sensitivity to allow me to do this, but it is all of you guys who lift me up and keep me there. Each and every person across the social sites who reach out a hand, pat me on the back, offer a long distance hug or get me to laugh make all the difference in the world. It is these who pack my parachute.

    -Jimmy

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  14. There are so many people who have helped me along the way, and I know they will continue to do so... along with those I haven't met yet:) Loved this post... so heart warming...:)

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  15. Blogger, writer, and Twitter friends are an amazing support group! They've helped me tremendously, and continue to do so every day. :-)

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  16. Friends and family absolutely. They're here for me whenever I feel insecure or uncertain, or just need a good laugh -- and I hope I do the same for them.

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  17. My husband is the person who always has my back. Packing my parachute... and there to catch me when I fall. But the most amazing thing about the power of social media, are the people who have stepped up with their love and support off the internet. I've met so many people during my writing journey that I call friends. True friends. I'm amazed the power of support for someone you just meet virtually. Kind hearts find each other. Not to mention the people I've met at conferences. All sharing a passion. We have each others backs.

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  18. Great post, and that's just the sort of thing most of us don't think about - the people in the background who made those famous heroes' stories just as much as the heroes themselves did.

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  19. I am very lucky to have an awesome critique partner plus I share a blog with some amazing writers, all of whom I admire, not to mention every single person who comes to my blog and visits and/or leaves a comment. I am fortunate indeed :)

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  20. For me, definitely blogger friends and critique partners. Couldn't live without them!

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  21. what a great post! It seems several of us are all thinking along the same lines these days. But I think gratitude is the best emotion. It keeps our heads on straight. ((hugs)) to you, Julie! I love my bloggy friends~ <3

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  22. Oh I'm sorry I'm so late commenting, Julie! You're message is so sweet just like usual. I'm grateful for you!

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  23. So many people, I couldn't name them all. But I have the usual suspects: Family, friends, beta readers (1 in particular who is a wiz and gets down to serious reading with feedback at a record pace)and of course, our amazing agent! Grateful to you, agency sister, as well for your support!

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