Today is Thanksgiving in the U.S. The day we eat too much food, roll our eyes at the antics of our extended family, and think about all the things we’re grateful for. Or in my case, try not to let my pending NaNoWriMo loss dampen my enjoyment of the day. *sob*
(Yes, it’s true. There is absolutely no way for me to catch up on NaNoWriMo words unless someone has a Time Turner I can borrow. Anyone? No? I guess I just need to chill and accept my loss with grace. *sigh* It’s a good thing my goal this year is to finish my story and not necessarily win NaNo. That goal is still in reach. *whew*)
This Thanksgiving post is now an annual tradition on my blog. Five years ago, I revealed that the best reason for me to blog is all of you.
The post four years ago reiterated that point with my gratitude for all the friends I’ve made via blogging and social media. Three years ago, I confessed my love of the blogging format because of the connections possible. Two years ago, I revealed that blogging for you pushes me—in a good way. Last year, I expressed my gratitude for the connections we make despite meeting only online.
And gee, what a surprise! All of you are still the best reason to blog! *smile*
The Power of Connections
This past year was huge for me—I finally became a published author! Four times over in fact. *grin*
But 99 percent of what made those four release days special was sharing the support and excitement with those I’ve connected with online and throughout the writing world. It was the shared tweets and posts, the comments of support and congratulations, and the mutual squee-ing that made those days fun.
In other words, the connections we form give meaning to our experiences. There’s a reasons Facebook and Instagram are popular sharing platforms.
Forget the phrase, “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” For many of us, the reality is, “If something interesting happens to us and no one is around for us to share it with, did we fully experience it?”
For me, I know those release days would have tick-tocked by like any other day if you weren’t with me. I’m not a big-time author, I don’t have a publisher behind me, and I haven’t had any release parties, so those encouraging notes were the only special events of the day.
Looking at sales numbers? Eh, that’s not meaningful to me.
(I’ve often talked about how I don’t pay attention to numbers—blog traffic, Twitter followers, etc., and sales numbers fall into that same black hole of my mind. I’d blame my dislike of math, but really, I don’t see my failure to obsess over numbers I can’t control as a bad thing. *wink*)
Sharing the day with you? That’s meaningful to me.
Thank you, sincerely, for every book review, comment, tweet, Like, or share of this past year. I can’t emphasize enough how much I appreciate our connections on various topics and events. *smile*
The Power of Sharing
I’ve also been blessed with many generous guest posters this year, especially during my attempted vacation this summer (which I managed to enjoy despite the whole family becoming sick) and during this NaNoWriMo month.
I want to send out mega-thanks to all of my recent guest posters for sharing their knowledge and expertise:
- Marcy Kennedy with her 5 Tips for Finding Point-of-View Errors
- Kassandra Lamb shared 5 Common Myths about Emotions
- Karen A. Wyle taught us about Story Research: Law, Lawyers, and the Justice System
- Laurel Garver helped us Strengthen Our Observation Skills
- Jennifer Hale gave us 7 Tips for a Writing Partnership
- Julie Glover explained how we can Use Grammar to Strengthen Our Voice
Even though I’m not going to win NaNo, I’m still getting more words done on my story than I would have without their help. And even better, we all learned something beyond our experience because they chose to share what they know. Win-win!
So as you finish up NaNo or enjoy this weekend, just know that I’m most grateful to all of you and the special meaning you bring to my life. Thank you! *hugs internet*
Happy Thanksgiving to my U.S. readers
and Happy Thursday to everyone else. *smile*
Do you ever feel like experiences mean more if you share them? Do you have people to share your writing journey with? Do you appreciate when others share their knowledge and expertise? What connections are you most grateful for? Is there anything special you’re grateful for this year?
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