December Theme: Community and Writing

By Marcia Thornton Jones

I’m not a joiner. I’m a starter. Not because I have anything against joining existing groups, but because I often find myself gabbing with like-minded companions about a support void and before I know it, “We should start a group,” pops out of my mouth. That’s how several book groups, a couple critique groups, a creativity group, and a few other writing-oriented groups began.

Why I do it? Why take the time? The effort? Why bother to stoke the creative flames of others?

While teaching a recent writing workshop I noticed how energized I became as I developed lessons, worksheets, and exercises. The act of sharing, encouraging, and motivating others resulted in increased motivation for my own writing. That’s when it hit me. By helping others I help myself.

It’s easy, really, for me to identify who feeds my soul and those that drain it. A strong support system keeps me grounded yet energized. What I need to do is nurture those people and things in my community that create optimism and foster joy…and prune those that don’t.

This talk of fostering a supportive community makes me curious about my story characters. After all, if I do my job right, they’ll have increasing obstacles that will require more and more energy, motivation, and perseverance. I wonder…are my characters:

·      Joiners or loners?

·      Leaders or followers?

·      What group would they feel compelled to create?

·      What group would they be tempted to destroy?

·      What groups would they embrace?

·      What groups would embrace them?

·      What groups would they shun?

·      What groups would shun them?

·      Who or what energizes them?

·      Who or what drains them?

·      Who or what motivates them?

·      Who or what holds them back?

I think I just discovered tomorrow’s writing warm-up prompt. Who wants to join me? Maybe we should start a group…