I love the word
“Serendipity.” The dictionary’s definition is: the accidental discovery of
something pleasant, valuable or useful. But, to me, the word also has a
mysterious, almost magical connotation. Something good happens out of the blue.
We didn’t expect it, we couldn’t anticipate it but there it is: a gift.
There are many reasons I
love being a writer and, a few weeks ago, I wrote three posts on the subject.
But, I neglected to mention one of the most wonderful, unexpected parts of being a
writer: meeting and getting to know so many other writers who support and
encourage me. I consider this a perfect example of serendipity.
Writing is hard work and,
by its very nature, it’s a solitary profession. We writers sit at our computers for hours on end, searching for just
the right words to tell the story we’re trying to tell. We want our readers to
get to know and care about our characters and we want them to become engrossed
in the plots we create. So, a good part of the time, we’re inside our own
heads.
But, as John Donne so
aptly wrote, “No man is an island.” We weren't meant to go it alone in this life; we all need each other. So, when another writer reads one of my
books and writes a glowing review, it means the world to me. Because only
another writer can fully understand what it took to get my book from one small
idea all the way to publication. I have been blessed to know several such
writers.
Recently, something
happened that put a big smile on my face. BookTown, a site I’ve belonged to for
some time, featured the book cover for Unfinished
Business, my second Malone Mystery, and two of my blog posts on their
Facebook home page. I was surprised and thrilled! Another example of serendipity!
Thank you BookTown and
thanks to all my writer friends who continually enrich my life!