happy birthday #amwriting

This post is for my writer colleagues across the globe who inspire, encourage, rejoice and commiserate with me on my writing journey. It’s been a year and a half since I quit my job to be a full time writer. And I have absolutely no regrets! But writing is a solitary pursuit. Day after day I sit in front of my computer completely immersed in worlds I have created. Some days the only voices I hear are those of my characters ― in my head! Try telling that to just anyone, I’m pretty sure they’d think you needed help (of the psychiatric type).

The #amwriting community is an online community that connects writers via the twitter hashtag. It’s a conversation any writer can dip in an out of at any time of the day or night. You can post frustrations or queries, successes or failures; you can get advice or give it; you can encourage and empathise; so long as it’s all in 140 characters or less!

It’s handy when you’re suffering from a heavy dose of insomnia because that darn character has been throwing up blocks all over the place, or you can’t see your way clear to finishing your novel, because, well, that would mean it’d be finished. It’s of particular use when you’re bursting to tell someone something related to your writing project that no-one else would get. Things like ‘had to write a letter to [insert main character’s name here] to say goodbye so I could start my next novel, [s/he] just wouldn’t leave me alone otherwise!’

Ah yes, only another author would understand the significance of that.
Happy Birthday #amwriting.

Next stop on this progressive blog party is: Johanna Harness