The best lesson I've learned since getting published...

... is the value of having friends who write.

Not everyone in my life would understand if I tried to tell them that people live in my head. Or that I watch them interact in my head and that I write down what happens.

But say that to a fellow writer and you'll most likely get a nod.

Nods mean so much.

As a writer you can feel really alone sometimes. You are on your computer, or scrunched in a comfy spot with a laptop or a notebook and pen, and you're listening to people no one else can hear or see. And you are by yourself.


If I tell my family I'm going to be upstairs writing for a while, they'll look through me and ask what's for dinner. As long as my writing doesn't interfere with their lives, they are fine with it.

If I told another writer that I'm working on a deadline, the writer not only wouldn't bother me, but might let others know not to bug me if they got wind of an impending interruption. Writers understand what it's like for other writers.

The Muses and the Bats are two of the best groups. The Muses are there for a pat on the back or encouragement. Commiseration. Information. The Bats (in the Bat Cave at eHarl) let you howl and scream and then cover you gently with slime and let you wallow in the pit until you're better.

Yes, even though writing is a lonely profession, I have more friends I've never met than friends I see on a regular basis. Strangest thing is, that it isn't strange at all!