Why I'm a Lucky Writer Gal

After spending days or weeks, sometimes even months, writing a short story, there is a sense of joy that comes with the act of polishing up my manuscript before I begin the submissions process. I look forward to the feedback and criticism of my fantastic writer's group and relish in finding those little errors I missed during the writing process. I love reading back through the completed draft and listening to the story's tone and the speaker's voice.

I have been fortunate enough to be one of the founders of a fantastic online writer's group for nearly four years now. We started out rather large, but over the last two years our numbers have dwindled a little bit. Some lost interest in writing, while others simply no longer seemed to have the time they once had to commit to the craft. Nevertheless, we are blessed with a core group of people who I feel both blessed and lucky to count among my friends. Some of our writers are published, while others simply write for fun, but while we workshop together everyone is an equal willing to give what they have to help their fellow writers move on to whatever next step awaits them.

I know that when I finish a story, if I am serious about submitting it somewhere, I can count on any of those friends to help me out with feedback and proofreading. Let's face it, an extra pair of eyes or two is always welcome. The last thing anyone wants is to get rejected because they typed the the or missed a vital word or two.

As I was prepping my most recent manuscript for submission, I was so grateful for all of the help and feedback I received. Friends and fellow writers alike took time out of their busy schedules to offer feedback, criticism and editing. The venue I submitted to closes tomorrow, so I was very fortunate when one member and friend offered to proofread the entire story for errors and consistency at the last minute.

Having a writer's group is a learning experience and a blessing. Writers from all levels of experience putting their heads together to help each other get a leg up is a beautiful thing. So, this is an open thank you to all of my friends at the CoC. You have all helped me grow as a writer so much in the last four years that I couldn't imagine life with you. Thank you!

If you're interested in learning more about CoC, navigate through our homepage. Whether you write nonfiction, fiction or fanfiction, all writers over the age of 18 are welcome to swap ideas and workshop with us. We have a safe, password protected archive capable of supporting full drafts without compromising future publication opportunities. The archive also offers a review feature where your fellow writers can offer feedback on your draft. We also have a full forum for interaction, so check us out! We even set up a special section we revisit every year for NaNoWriMo.

By the way, don't let our name fool you. CoC stands for Circle of Crones. The crone is referencing the memory of our meeting, and the fact that we started out a full circle of adult women, any of us over thirty.

CoC Writer's Group