Fate, IWSG, & Indie Life - The Chemistry of Community

Hey gang! Hope everyone is doing great. Sorry about my Debbie Downer post on Monday, but it really drove a point home for me, and also inspired today's ramblings. :)

I didn't get to post my IWSG post last week due to prior blog obligations. (Did I mention I'm the world's worst administrative assistant? Don't ask me to look at a calendar and schedule things in a reasonable manner--ever.), and today is the day for the monthly Indie Life bloghop. So I figured I'd knock them both out AND put my words into action.

In regards to the latter, first up, I'd like to share the cover of an upcoming book by one of our fellow authors, Meradeth Houston.

The Chemistry of Fate
(Available April 2013)


The chemistry between Ari and Tom is reactive, but a deadly secret in a family journal will tear them apart if they can’t avoid fate.

“They are everywhere, can be anyone, and are always the last person you’d expect.” When Tom stumbles across his grandfather’s journal, he’s convinced the old man was crazier than he thought. The book contains references to beings called the Sary, immortals who are assigned to save humans on the verge of suicide. They certainly aren’t allowed to fall in love with mortals. Which the journal claims Tom’s grandfather did, resulting in his expulsion from the Sary. As strange as the journal seems, Tom can’t get the stories out of his head; especially when he finds the photo of his grandfather’s wings.

Tom’s only distraction is Ari, the girl he studies with for their chemistry class.

Ari has one goal when she arrives in town: see how much Tom knows about the Sary and neutralize the situation. This isn’t a normal job, but protecting the secrecy of the Sary is vital. If Tom is a threat to exposing the Sary to the public, fate has a way of taking care of the situation, usually ending with the mortal’s death. While Ari spends time with Tom, he becomes more than just an assignment, but how far can a relationship go when she can’t tell him who she really is? When she finds out just how much Tom actually knows about the Sary, Ari is forced to choose between her wings, and her heart.

THE CHEMISTRY OF FATE is a companion to COLORS LIKE MEMORIES and is set before the latter takes place.

~ About Meradeth ~

Meradeth’s never been a big fan of talking about herself, but if you really want to know, here are some random tidbits about her:

>She’s a Northern California girl, but now lives and teaches anthropology in Montana.

>When she’s not writing, she’s sequencing dead people’s DNA. For fun!

>She’s been writing since she was 11 years old. It's her hobby, her passion, and she’s so happy to get to share her work!

>If she could have a super-power, it would totally be flying. Which is a little strange, because she’s terrified of heights.

www.MeradethHouston.com

meradethhouston.blogspot.com

https://twitter.com/MeradethHouston

http://www.facebook.com/MeradethHouston

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17452243-the-chemistry-of-fate

http://youtu.be/HFRNJ-Yn7So (trailer)

IWSG & Indie Life - 
The Chemistry of Community

A little about the bloghops first:

What is the Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG)?


Click the pic to join IWSG!
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer.

What is Indie Life?

Click the pic to join Indie Life!
Purpose: Write anything indie related: something that will inspire or help a fellow indie; something that celebrates a release or a milestone; something that talks about the ups and downs, joys and heartaches of Being Indie.

Posting: Post on the second Wednesday of the month. Then visit others in the group and connect with your fellow indie writers.



FINALLY, onto the post! 

So I mentioned my post from Monday. To summarize, it was about a young author who died before her debut novel was published. It's out now, and her friends, agent, and the writing community at large are trying give her book--and her memory--the proper debut experience they deserve. You can read about it HERE.

One of my biggest insecurities as a writer is this nagging fear of being alone. Don't get me wrong, I embrace the isolation writing requires. I love the hours I get to play inside my own head. But there's something about not 'officially' being attached to a group or tribe that unsettles me a little.

Sure, I'm a member of IWSG and Indie Life. I host a Twitter chat for fans and authors of New Adult literature. I'm involved in various other writing communities online. But most of those are things I've elected to do. I'm included by choice, not necessarily because I belong. None of them would cease to exist if I wasn't around.

Which brings me to my point: On the surface, all of these groups are just skeletons--things formed to give structure to our little writing community. They are constructs created to give us some semblance of belonging. They don't seem all that substantial.

But when I read comments like I received on my previous post, and see how the writing community can really work together for someone, I'm reminded of how much deeper all of this goes.

A community that seems like a simple mixture of separate individuals on the surface, is really a complex solution of people who are so fundamentally connected and intertwined they become a uniquely cohesive substance.

In particular, I think the indie group of writers really embody that concept of togetherness. I've seen indies band together to do amazing things--literally change an entire industry. They've worked to get each other noticed by readers and onto bestseller lists that refused to acknowledge their existence just a few years ago.

That kind of cohesion requires a special bond. One that I'm extremely grateful to be a part of, and to support.

~EJW~

14 comments:

  1. Great post, EJ. I love this group. :)

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  2. EJ, short and simple - you get it! It is a special bond.

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  3. Nice post, EJ!

    Hugs and chocolate,
    Shelly

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  4. I've been doing this gig for almost ten years now, and it wasn't until I really got involved online that I felt support and a sense of belonging.

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  5. Thank you SO much for posting my cover! Seriously, I love the writing community and everyone who has helped me out!

    Great post, too--I completely know what you mean. Sometimes I worry I'm just talking to myself. Thank heavens for so many people online who I've been able to reach out to and get to know. They totally make this process wonderful!

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  6. I like the idea of a writing community that helps, supports, and inspires each other; it can help writers stay motivated. I know how it feels to be afraid of being alone, but sometimes I feel more afraid of not being alone, just because I'm more of a loner than anything else. And even though I have a few friends, I've grown accustomed to working and living on my own; somehow it always seemed easier. I know that it's good to belong to a community, though.

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  7. I really think there is some kind of psychic link between writers because we all have that spark and we all know how lonely it can seem. That's why most are so totally supportive and will do anything to help each other out!

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  8. Yep, great post. Thank goodness for the internet. I've seen writers come together again and again to help each other out. Amazing support. :)

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  9. Sitting here nodding as I read the comments. :)

    One thing I never expected from self-publishing was to have my view of people as basically good COMPLETELY supported. But that's what I've seen; great people, the readers and the writers!

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  10. Writing is an alone thing, but like others, connecting to the online community… i have forgotten that:) nice post!

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“Much unhappiness has come into the world because of bewilderment and things left unsaid.” ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky

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