Monday, January 31, 2011

The writing community

I love the writing community. It's so supportive. You have a bad day, you get virtual hugs. You have a good day, you get virtual high-fives. It's super awesome. You can find blogs from those like mine about the everday struggle of juggling my responsibilities of wife, mother, and part time work while still trying to make a writing career, to those that have numerous self-help and writing tips like Jami Gold's. http://jamigold.com/ to plain fun like @M__Mitchell http://www.badboyscanbefun.com/ that makes you think and your writing improve.

Whatever part of the writing process you need themost support in (finding time--look to blogs like mine, issues--blogs like Jami's, technical--blogs like edittorrent http://edittorrent.blogspot.com/ (grammar geeks unite!) you will find it in the writing community.

Recently, @briquinlan and @Mgbuehrlen, who run the Writer's Yardsale store http://www.cafepress.com/writersyardsale/7204306(awesome support story there as well) to help sponsor their writing careers, started a design contest. Basically, they are looking for designs for their T shirts and mugs.

I did a design based on my new Gal Friday Noir series I'm writing. But I can't get the background to be transparent. (grrr. anyone knows how to do that, I'll kiss them, or not as their preference may be!) I asked for help on twitter. @Wulfie_ (whom I met through the #zombiesurvivalcrew @Jtzerzieff and chat w/ through @Jinxie_G and @PatriciaIVicens) gave me couple hints and also told me to download Picasa. So, I did. It hasn't worked on the transparency issue, yet, but it did something else totally amazing. (@grae42 and new to me peeps @joelandmandy also told me to download program paint.NET to help since it's the paint program that I originally used. Lots of good help!)

Back story. Any y'all remember my computer crashed? To say I was devastated is understatement. My brother died less than 2 years ago and I had the pictures from the last time I saw him, he was holding my baby and his baby before he moved to Georgia. Also, my baby has Down Syndrome, was born three weeks early and spent first week in ICU and then few more days in hospital (recovered MUCH quicker than doc's expected!) and all those pics were lost. I was told by guy at Best Buy (where I bought my computer and have 3 year warranty that it was gone. I decided to not believe him and haven't taken my computer in yet cuz I have friend who does information recovery.

Well, I download this program and as it's finishing installing it asks, "do you want only pics from picture and document folder or from all over whole computer" or something like that. A little piece of hope lit up in me. Could it? Would it find my old pics despite the new wall??? I put all over the whole computer. And yes, as I'm sure you've guessed now, all my pics are back! I cried and cried and cried happy tears! So many important pics, my daughters graduation, a family reunion, birthdays, fourth of july, and everyday things like my baby's face full of spaghetti in his high chair, or our family's experience at the Pizza Hut in Texas next to my husband's college/work place. So much was lost and has been found.

And it is the perfect timing. My brother's birthday is next week. Last Year. I was pretty much depressed from now until about a week after the anniversary of his death. Having these pictures may make the difference between me being able to cope and continue writing and supporting my family or not.

So thank you writing community. Thank you for all your support, love, encouragement and well wishes. I love all of you. I haven't even mentioned all my favorites here! You have been my life line since my brother died. Literally. The blogs, the community support when I'm feeling down, helping me improve my craft so that I can more effectively channel my emotions into my work, all has been of immeasurable importance to me.

10 comments:

  1. Thank you for your support, as well. You're an awesome tweep and a lovely lady. All the best to you.

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  2. Aw, honey, we love you and I'd like to thank YOU for being there for me when I've needed it! Now go back up your damn computer RIGHT NOW! That's an order and you better tell me when it's done.

    *hugs*

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  3. What program are you trying to make a transparency of? Send it to me and I can get my daughter to do it.

    Hope

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  4. @Piper You are the most classy US writer I know. Unfailingly polite and warm towards your fellow twitter peeps and all that twatter :)

    @Jinxie Thank you!! And as for the backing up, we've been discussing...

    @Hope *high pitch squeal. Really??? *Breath. Okay :) I'll send it to you :) Thanks bunches!!

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  5. You're part of that super supportive community too, I can't count the number of times you've commiserated and celebrated with me over Twitter. So on he behalf of the writer community, we love you too :)

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  6. @Andrew That is probably the sweetest thing I have heard in a VERY long time! Thank you so much.

    All of you. It's incredible the people that I have met through twitter and who have come to mean so much to me!!

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  7. WooHoo I knew Picassa could do magic, I just didn't know it would be THAT magic. That's awesome. I'm very happy for you.

    And yes, you're part of this community too,you know. We've only just met but you already rescued me from *Help, unknown thingie on my MS!* and I see you helping others out all the time. You're always unfailingly kind and...my favorite: Silly. Writers Unite!

    *High Five*

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  8. Awww, Leona, I've loved you since I first beheld your smiling face on my computer screen. Of course, that was when your avatar was an actual picture of you. But hey, *shrug* I shouldn't complain. For that was in the old days, when I had Murray, a twisty straw, and nothing to worry about but, an eggplant and a bucket of meat. <-eke! That sounds ominous doesn't it?

    You are awesome! Really, I'm so glad to have met you - You're one of the most genuine and generous people I know. Don't change...unless, you know, you become rich and famous and you turn all snotty, because then I'll overlook it as I chase after your coattails for a ride. ;)

    Murphy :D

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  9. Aww, thanks, Leona! I'm so happy to know you too! *hugs* Hey, and if can make yours or someone else's journey to being an author better/easier/happier? That's what I love. Take care, my friend. :)

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  10. All of you: I'm blushing and crying happy tears!

    @wulfie Thank you. It's hard to describe how meaningful this has all been to me. I tried. The magic of helping you with that zombie demon thingie has been repaid an hundred fold!!

    @Murphy My husband still remembers the eggplant episode!! I was laughing so hard at that comment that it took me like 3 tries to read it to him! LOL

    And if become rich and famous, I shall only be snotty to mine enemies. (Believe it or not, this stubborn strong willed opinionated woman has a few!:)I shall do so in the politely pissy way my Aunt Leona taught me LOL

    PS I changed my avatar to one of me laughing. May need to crop it. Shall see what happens.

    @Jami You have been invaluable as I search for my voice in the sea of do's and dont's out there~Thank you for line item editing that first chapter 2x!

    Hugs you all!

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