Turn the Page

One of the hardest things for many writers is writing "The End" and even harder for some is knowing that the time has come to end a chapter or finish a story. Turning pages can be difficult.

I've come to a point in my life that has forced me to make a difficult decision, a page I must turn.

At the May PAWS meeting, I announced my resignation as group leader. The decision came after much thought, many prayers, and painful deliberation. I feel that if I cannot give 100% to the group as your leader, it's not fair for me to remain in that capacity. With my current position as managing editor of Senior Life, senior editor at Viera Voice and assistant to the publisher, my life has overwhelmed me and to "mine own self be true" I must take time to tend my own pastures.

When I made the announcement to the surprise to those gathered, offers of assistance immediately poured out. People were willing to step up to the plate to assist me, but at this point, assistance is not what I need. A sabbatical is what I need. I am taking an indefinite leave of absence from the group, and perhaps from FWA while I recharge my internal batteries.

No one could have known that I was burning out, because I didn't know it myself. No one could have known that I've needed help running the group for a long time, because I did not tell a soul. And nobody could have guessed how very much I enjoyed working with the writers or how much I learned, how much I will miss the meetings, or how much I wish I could remain. I don't remain, because the time has come to turn the page. This chapter of my life has reached the end.

I'm passing the book along to someone else and like any good book, I may pick it up again and start to read with new eyes and a sense of familiarity. Right now, this book has ended.

Thank you for letting me read it with you.

May's Focus

Last month, three people voted in the poll. Two voted to discuss Point-of-view and one hoped we'd discuss Craft. I wasn't able to attend the April meeting, so don't know if this was discussed. I've posted a new poll with the same question: What do you want to discuss at our next meeting?

Please vote and know that the majority rules, even if the voting majority is only two people. At the moment, I am planning to focus on discussing Point-of-view at the meeting in May.

May's Meeting

If you'd like to join us please come to the Melbourne Library located at 540 Fee Avenue in Melbourne and be ready to begin promptly at 7p.m. on Wednesday, May 21.

Our meetings are informal but informative. I believe in starting on time, but often have difficulty ending on time. Please feel free to leave quietly whenever you must.

Come prepared with a dozen copies of a single short work to discuss in depth with other writers. We call this our editorial review or peer focus and sometimes we call it an editorial focus and peer review. Some call it critique - I call it fun! I love getting with other writers and working together to improve.

All work will be returned to the author with suggestions and comments that may or may not be considered helpful. Writing, as well as reading, is subjective and no two reviewers will see any given work the same. This helps us understand how our work can be repeatedly rejected until finally some editor, publisher, agent, or college intern has a moment of understanding, a breath of sympathy, or perhaps spiritual clarity and our manuscripts are snatched from the slush pile and placed on the front racks until we sell enough to launch our names to the top of the world's best-sellers' lists.

We cannot usually review everyone's work in the short time we have the room. We draw lots and review one work as thoroughly as we can before we move on to the next. We all learn from the process, whether or not our individual work is reviewed. If someone is stumped over a particular process, we brainstorm to help find a way around the problem.

For the past two years, I've requested RSVP and have never heard from my core of five writers and an occaisional newcomer, so have learned we could have as few as five or as many as 30 at any given meeting. However, if more than 15 show up at our current location, I'll know we've outgrown yet another venue.

Life is all about growth and change.