Words

“I have hated words, and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.” That is from The Book Thief. I have had this thought many times in my writing. I have also had this thought in life in general. Words can really be everything to someone. I’m not sure if you have seen this video going around Facebook, but I cried when I saw it.

We all have had our moments when we didn’t really believe we had worth. Where we didn’t think anyone cared, but it’s not true. As women we need to support each other and be there for each other always. I loved how that was the theme of last night’s General Women’s Conference.

I loved how Sister Oscarson, the General Young Women’s President quoted Marjory Hinckley. “Sisters, we are all in this together. We need each other. Oh, how we need each other. Thos of us who are old need you who are young. And, hopefully, you who are young need some of us who are old. It is a sociological fact that women need women. We need deep and satisfying and loyal friendships with each other. These friendships are a necessary source of sustenance. We need to renew our faith every day. We need to lock arms and help build the kingdom so that it will roll forth and fill the whole earth.”

Think of what we can do if we support each other. Think of what we can do with words. Think of what our words as writers can do for many people. We can encourage, inspire, support, make someone laugh, cry, and be able to keep moving on. I loved what Sister Wixom told of the 90 year old woman who said, “If rewriting life, I would not include some chapters. I would like to live a little longer to see how it ends.” I think it is true in all of our lives. There are definitely parts we would like to leave out, but those hard times, with the support of others is what gets us to the end.

In the movie Saving Mr. Banks, Walt Disney said, “George Banks and all he stands for will be saved. Maybe not in life, but in imagination, because that’s what we storytellers do. We instill hope again and again and again.” Writing for me is peaceful, it’s my therapy and medicine. If I can help one person with my words then I have done my part.

      Be the words that saves someone. Make a difference in another woman’s life. Support each other in our failures and success. Henry B. Eyring said, “He sees the glorious potential in all of his daughters. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart.”

Getting Yourself Out There

By Lacey Gunter

Shout out to all the moms with a mountainous pile of laundry. I feel your pain! This past month my writing soul has been wonderfully enriched, but it has not come without a cost. Visitors beware, my house is a disaster zone and I am more than a wee bit sleep deprived. My only hope is that my hubby and kids are feeling an extra dose of Valentines love and will forgive me of my shortcomings.

Amidst all this progressing mess and chaos, I am happy.  I recently signed up for my first writer's conference and I am very excited! It will be in the summer and I welcome all your advice. I have also had the chance to participate in several new writing and critique activities that have buoyed my writing resolve and helped me to meet people who have encouraged me and helped me grow. I feel very blessed.

So here is what I have learned this month. A lot of writing advice talks about getting your work out there, participating in critique groups, doing lots of submissions and getting lots of feedback. This is sound advice, for sure.  But it is also really beneficial to get yourself out there, and I don't mean just digitally.

Getting out and meeting other writers and sharing your experiences with each other helps you to feel
more connected and can give you the strength to weather through the difficult aspects of trying to get published. With all our busy schedules, this takes time, I know.  But if you are really serious about writing, it is worth the time. And you may be surprised at how friendly and kind the people you meet are. I know I have been.

Rejection letters, difficult to swallow critiques and a sea of internet literature emphasizing how unlikely it is you'll get published, can make this industry feel like everyone is against you. But as I have met and talked to people personally, all I can seem to find are down to earth people who are happy to be a friend.

So, get yourself out there. Your laundry and house cleaning may suffer. But all that means is you'll just have to meet up at your second favorite place, the library. =)

The Writing Sisterhood

Here it is, two nights and two days later Sunday at the Sweetwater Lift Lodge in Park City

and it has been a writer's haven of heaven. I am so very grateful for Karen Hoover's generosity

and love by inviting me along with our most treasured writing group of awesome sisters to come

over so we can reinforce our already strong bonds of friendships by doing what we love best:

WRITING!

My heart is very full as I express my gratitude for my wonderful critique group because we are

so much more than that--we are sisters in Zion who love one another and who build one another

up and who cheer each other on. Talk about major support group. I have to be forthright and

honest, but I wouldn't be where I am right now without them (and I am not referring to Park

City). :) There is a sisterhood here with Mormon Mommy Writers as well, and for that, I am

also grateful--especially with our followers!

Finding that it's a writer's blood life to connect with other writers, how are the dynamics like

with your writing friends and groups?