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Welcome
to the first Wednesday of the month. You know what that means! It's
time to let our insecurities hang out. Yep, it's the Insecure Writer's Support Group blog hop.
If you're a writer at any stage of career, I highly recommend this blog
hop as a way to connect with other writers for support, sympathy,
ideas, and networking. If you're a reader, it's a great way to peek
behind the curtain of a writing life.
Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG. The awesome co-hosts for the December 3 posting of the IWSG are Tara Tyler, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Pat Garcia, Liza, and Natalie Aguirre!
December 3 question - As a writer, what was one of the coolest/best gifts you ever received?
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Winter Holidays, 2010. We had opened all the packages and were sitting there basking in the glow when my husband announced that there was one more gift. He left the room and came back with a little scroll, then handed it to me.
When I unrolled it, I found that Sweetman had bought me a writing retreat! I'd be going to Pelican House for a week of quiet and writing.
It was quite a gift--not only in the dollar value of the retreat itself, but because it was also a promise to take on the extra labor to grant me the time. He'd be a single dad to our kids (they were nine and two at the time), take care of our house and dog, and leave me free to ignore my part of those responsibilities for a whole week and just focus on my writing!
It was an amazing show of support.
That week ended up being really important to my writing life. Not only did I make great progress on the book, but I made friends with a group of supportive women who boosted my confidence and helped me see the value in my work. It did a lot to fight my imposter syndrome and make me feel like this was something I could actually do.
It's easier to find writing time now. Our kids are older. I changed jobs to something less stressful. I've got better at focusing under less-than-ideal conditions. But the writing space inside my head still looks a lot like the room at the top of the cupola at Pelican House.
How cool that your husband gave you a writing retreat as a gift. It was so thoughtful of him.
ReplyDeleteMore proof that I'm the lucky one!
DeleteThat is an amazing gift!
ReplyDeleteIt really really was.
DeleteWow. That's incredible. I can hardly imagine a WHOLE WEEK just to write and relax and mingle. Haha!
ReplyDeleteOne of the best weeks of my life, honestly.
DeleteWow, that is an incredible gift! It was so hard to snatch times to write when my kids were young too.
ReplyDeleteYes! It's much easier now that they are older.
DeleteA writing retreat! Now, that's a gift.
ReplyDeleteA good one, for sure.
DeleteThat was an amazing gift. What a supportive husband.
ReplyDeleteI think he's a keeper ;-) (after 20 years, I hope so!)
DeleteAw, what a thoughtful gift! I've never taken a writer retreat--sounds fabulous.
ReplyDeleteI still have fond memories of this one.
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteWhat; a wonderful gift that was! It cleared your head and helped you move to another lever in your writing.
Have a Merry Christmas and a safe crossover into 2026.
Shalom shalom
Thank you! You as well.
DeleteWow! Wow! What a special and supportive gift, Samantha! I'd love to do something like that. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a happy 2026!
ReplyDeleteThank you! May your holidays be bright and joyful.
Delete