Last Saturday I gave a presentation to the Indiana chapter of Sisters in Crime. I talked about what I do: write articles for online clients. My aim was to show them how much content there is online, thus demonstrate the infinite number of possibilities to be paid for writing. The second part of my agenda was to show them how although writing articles may seem irrelevant to their passion, writing crime and mystery stories, these are many intangible rewards that all lead to improved research and writing skills and increased creative and critical thinking skills. Their reception and responses told me that what I offered them was both interesting and meaningful.
To my delightful surprise, however, the experience was more interesting and meaningful to me than I could have ever imagined!
I have mentioned here before how writing is such an isolated and lonely experience. Well, being around so many professionally accomplished writers was just the surge of colleague interaction I have been needing. I sat in on their business meeting before giving my talk and was excited by the energy in the room! Collaboration, efficiency, friendly candor, the exchange of information and the sharing of resources all inspired me with hope and renewed enthusiasm for my own work and unreached dreams.
They had a lot to cover in that business meeting because next month, they will host a launch party for their new anthology: Mayhem at the Brickyard, coming out to coincide with the Indianapolis 500. Because it is an Indianapolis-based group, they’ve written mysteries that center on the racing theme. This is their second anthology. The first, released one year ago, is titled Racing Can Be Murder. Both books can be purchased online at Amazon and ordered through Barnes and Noble and Borders book stores. Both books are published by Blue River Press
As some of us shared lunch together after my presentation, I learned more about their group and in particular, about those who sat around the big round table. A microbiologist, a lawyer, a teacher in the state prison, a forensic artist, a psychologist, a retired physicist /publisher, and a psychic all talked about recent projects, each interjecting pieces of their own areas of expertise as “what if” prompts to fuel the conversation. It was a feast for the imagination!
And I came away more resolved than ever to pursue the company of fascinating people.
My conclusion is this: every day week the extraordinary in all that you encounter because it is there!
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