Guest blog by Terry's Client Linda Apple

We writers are supposed to avoid cliché's but nothing says it better than this one: TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE.

All writers need friends with the same mental illness. Someone who understands the way we think and process. And it is even better when one writer friend is  further down the road to success. Someone who has survived the writerly condition and can take us by the hand and lead us through the dark times. Velda Brotherton  is that to me. She is multi-published in most genre's  and I'm so thankful God gave me this precious friend. 

When I get stuck I go to my trusted writing friends and we brainstorm. Last week Jan Morrill and I drove to Oklahoma City for an OWFI board meeting. I told her about some problems with my novel rewrites. She started the "what if" game (where she'd suggest a "twist" in a scene). It is like a dam of ideas broke and flooded my mind. Jan brought a freshness that my stagnant brain couldn't stir.

There is value in getting a few, and I mean a few, writing friends together for an evening of brainstorming. Simply taking turns with projects and helping each other tear down the one dimensional, predictable, parts of our stories creates a new excitement about our projects.

Friends J.R.R.Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and Hugo Dyson found value meeting in the Eagle and Child pub every Thursday. I think they are an excellent example of the results when creative minds spark in a group.

Are you stuck, stagnate, discouraged? Call three writerly friends and invite them over. Fix a few snacks and get to work! You'll be glad you did!  

Guest column by Terry's Client Linda Apple

“Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.”~ E.L. Doctorow

Thirteen years ago I decided to be a writer. Little did I know what this decision would cost me. Little did I know how this decision would enrich my life.

I entered this world of words ignorant, hopeful, expectant, and maybe just a little bit cocky. It didn’t take long for me to be humbled. To my great astonishment, the world wasn’t waiting to hear what I had to say! I kept writing trying to find the right recipe, but most of my efforts failed.

Thank goodness for my writer friends who encouraged me to keep at it. However, I’ve found that words get into the writers veins and really, I couldn’t have stopped for long.

I’ve heard about writers who say they have to write because the stories in their heads demand to be told. I didn’t have such stories or demands. But what I did have was the desire to connect with people and encourage them. It took several years of writing to finally discover this was my niche, my voice.

The reason I’m writing this blog is for those of you who are just starting out. It is so easy to compare your writing experience, style, success—or lack thereof— with others. Let me assure you that there will always be someone more successful and always be someone less successful than you. That is the journey. As you write you will discover yourself, your style and voice, and just where you fit in.

Don’t get confused by other writers. At conferences you will hear a broad spectrum of advice, which is often contradictory. Treat this abundance of information like a buffet. Take what resonates with you and leave the rest. Take small steps until you feel ready to run. Then burst out and sprint. If you fall, that’s okay. This may be a sign to try a different path. Above all, be patient with yourself.

Explore, Learn, Write! 

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Linda has cut her writing teeth on short work publishing an amazing fifteen stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul books and stories in six anthologies. She is the author of two non-fiction books, Inspire! Writing from the Soul and Connect! A Simple Guide to Public Speaking for Writers. She has a great platform as she is a sought after speaker for workshops around the country and just served as President of the Oklahoma Writers Federation.