#4 Wise Wednesdays Unleashed

Do you have a Creative Coven?

Photo by "My Life Through A Lens" on Unsplash

*This edition of Wise Wednesdays Unleashed is free to read. If you enjoyed it and would like more of these posts in the future, please consider becoming a paid member. Here’s my special holiday gift to you:

As we go into the holidays and prepare to wrap up the year, I have a very important question to ask you: If you’re a writer, an artist, or other Creative (and I believe we are *all* creative) do you have a close support circle around you?

Writing in particular, can be a lonely, solitary endeavour. Afterall, we sit in a room all by ourselves (I envy you if you can write in a busy café!), hunched over our computers until we ache and forget to eat or go the bathroom (please tell me I’m not the only one) and make stuff up out of thin air. Does that sound normal to you? Of course it does!

At the time, we may think that what we wrote was brilliant. Only to be faced with the cold hard truth the next day that it’s merde, sh*#t, crap, doo-doo…well, you get the idea. Now, whether it actually is garbage is somewhat subjective and we writers are oh-so self critical. Personally, I like to flaggelate myself with forty blows with my old leather horseriding switch (which I never had the heart to use on the horse, by the way). But either way, whether or not your writing really is crap, do you have an intimate circle of fellow creatives who you can call for help or just to commiserate?

The circle that I have belonged to for going on six years now, was formerly called a Mastermind. As six minds (we started with four) are definitely better than one, the name worked, but let’s be honest, it didn’t have much caché. Then about a year ago, we put our minds to coming up with and voting on a better name. We are now the Creative Coven. We’re not witches, although I’m sure we could be at times! Rather, we’re a tight-knit group of multi-published authors, in our case, in three different genres, who are traditionally, indie and hybrid published.

We have literally been together through thick and thin. We’ve been there for each other through deeply personal things, serious health issues, wins and disappointments, and most of all, the ups and downs of what can be a brutal industry. I know every profession or avocation has its challenges, but honestly, it’s hard to imagine the roller coaster ride of querying your manuscript and being rejected multiple times. Or on getting a brutally honest editorial letter. If you’ve been with your editor for multiple books, after you get over the hurt, anger, or both, you know in your heart they’re right. But it’s painful!

I remember getting my 18-page report and track changes on my first structural edit. I was devastated! I was convinced I was a terrible writer and should never torture a reader with my prose again. But I reached out to one of the members of my Creative Coven who’d been through this multiple times. She said (kindly), “You have to remember, drafting a manuscript is like building a house. Editing and revising is basically destroying it.” Then the other members of our Creative Coven said the same thing in different way and assured me my writing was not crap. Yikes! In the end, that book, Everybody Knows, was so much stronger after the revisions. It’s my best selling thriller.

But, as with my original critique group that I was in so many years ago and would never have published my first book Deadly Switch without them, I think I would have quite writing after my third book if not for my Creative Coven. That’s a big statement to make I know, but it’s the truth. Likewise, with my husband having been diagnosed with a rare inoperable cancer. They put their arms around me and saved me from going under. All fiercely dedicated, successful writers in their own right, they encouraged me to take the time I needed when day after day, the muse refused to show up. It was during this time that I started this Substack publication. I love writing for you! It has helped me more than you can possibly know. 🩶

And so, as I wrap up Wise Wednesdays Unleashed for the holidays, I’d like to say thank you for being part of my Words, Wisdom & Conversation community. Your feedback and comments have meant the world to me and have made it more of a conversation.

I’d love to hear if you have the equivalent of a Creative Coven in your life. Please pop them into the Comments below, or just come and say hi.

Wishing you and yours a safe and blessed holiday season.

Warmly,

K.R. 🩶

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