About ten months ago, I joined an online writer's group called
YALITCHAT. (See first post about taking my toys a
nd going home) If someone would have told me that in less than a year I'd be flying halfway around the
globe to meet a lady I met online, I probably would have laughed in their face. I'm not
that person. I'm not someone who meets online friends.
I'm glad no one told me because it may have just ruined the wonderful surprise and journey of meeting a kindred spirit such as my friend, Penny. We traded manuscripts and hit it off, finding many things in common outside of our writer's world. Fast forward a few months, both of us joining a
crit group with a bunch of equally awesome ladies, and an
it had to be in the cards surprise trip to Paris with a train ride to England and you've got the perfect mix for friendship to flourish.
Now, to be honest, my little sister was a bit worried about me heading off to a foreign country to visit a lady I'd only met online. She said, "If you wake up in an ice-bath missing a kidney, don't say I didn't warn you." Point taken. I'm glad to say I came back with both kidneys intact. Not to
mention had a wonderful time with Penny and her lovely family.
Meeting someone through their writing is more than just meeting someone online in a chat group. Writers pour their heart and creative energy into their work and no matter what the story is about, a piece of them will always remain. I didn't
think I got into these online groups and
crit group to make new friends. Yet at the end of the day, you just have to be open to friendship no matter where it comes from. I'm certainly glad I was. Thanks to these new friends I've learned a heap about writing, the industry and ultimately myself.
Like always, I've taken the scenic route to this realization. Next up on the agenda will be learning how to mingle these two worlds of mine - the writers and the rest of my life. Stay tuned for more adventures along the winding road to doing the things the long way.
