Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Critique Groups

I've been working with five other ladies for what seems like forever. We're friends. We're family. We're sisters. I would do anything for any one of them. Even accept their suggestions on my wonderfully terrific chapter submission that has absolutely nothing wrong with it. (Yeah, like I've ever survived a critique session without someone drawing my blood.)

Tonight was our bi-weekly meeting. Tonight was different. The chemistry has been permanently altered and I'm not sure I like it. We all will adjust, eventually. But for the moment, it is difficult to accept that one of my sisters has decided to go on a hiatus for several months...perhaps longer. She questions her ability to write. She questions her authenticity. She questions if she's wasting her time pursuing a dream of creating a wonderful novel for children.

But from my perspective she is one of the funniest, warmest, loving-est people I have ever met. She is a creatively talented writer - an incredible writer. She is a super-charged editor. She's ... what I've always aspired to be.

And now she's gone.

We were sad this evening, trying to focus on our critiques yet our thoughts were flooded with missing our friend. And for the moment our chemistry has been altered to taste bitter. It will eventually sweeten over time as someone new fills her spot. But that someone will never fill her shoes.

We love you and miss you, Bernie. Come home soon,

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