Lovely collaboration, Rebecca. So glad you wrote for my site. Welcome any time you have a hankering. Others here: all paid subscribers are invited to post--I'll post yours for free--so all may read--and I'll promote you big time, as I did for the lovely Rebecca! 5 bucks gets you a post to promote you. xoxo or if you can't afford that, simply write me and I'll get you on ... xoxo
Great post, Rebecca. So not knowing what I'm going to write about adds a certain frisson? I don't know what I'm going to write about either, but your letters always inspire me
The spontaneity of our letter writing is really exciting. I can of course plan in advance what I’m going to write to you about, but a large part of an ongoing correspondence is the response-to-stimulus aspect of it. Every letter - on both sides - brings at least one brand-new subject, usually more than one, and it’s that aspect that guarantees that at least part of the response will bring something fresh rather than stodgy! 🤣
(Not that I think either of us is stodgy, mind. Just a turn of phrase.) 👀
Love all of it!!! I think of living the creative life as an ongoing collaboration with my experiences: people, places, things, thoughts, feelings etc.... I respond creatively to my world. That's what it means to be an artist.
Thanks, Rebecca, for the link to your Camp Awe-gust posting! I would have missed it otherwise. Instead of going out on the bus to find inspiration this week, I am definitely going out in my back yard and looking down to see what story I can find there. Great idea. And as for the shout out, Raymond thanks you and sends love and fishes.
Oh, I’m so pleased that you’ve had a look at Camp AweGust, Sharron - I think inspiration can be found everywhere, but it’s just a case of knowing that it CAN be if only we knew how to look.
Sending love back to Raymond, too! And a tummy tickle, should he take pleasure in such things. 🐈⬛
You really get around! 😅 I've wondered about the collaborative stories that crop up here from time to time, Rebecca, curious about how they come into being and whether the connections are there before the joint venture or whether they develop as a result.
Having exchanged letters with my mother for many, many years, I often miss that ritual, so the conversation between you and Terry is especially inviting. I also find myself sequestering little bits of information these days when I am among friends in real life, because I know I want to write about it and don't want to spoil the fun. That, too, is rooted in the tradition with my mom. On a phone conversation, one or the other of us might say, "I'm not going to tell you about that, because it will give me something to put in a letter!"
Fun to see how you're sharing your explorations and with whom!
It’s down to the power of Substack! Terry and I had followed each other for just a short while before he approached me to partner with him for the ‘Substack Letters’ project, and it’s been so lovely to get to know him and his writing in this way.
I’m no longer active on traditional social media, but there is plenty I like to share. Things I used to post about on other platforms - a funny road sign I’ve seen, a rant about the weather, a little story I’ve heard, my opinion on the latest book I’ve read - are all things I like to share with people. What I write about in my letters to Terry are exactly those sorts of things: things which I chat to friends about, or include in a letter to a family member. At first I think perhaps I felt vulnerable, publishing a one-to-one letter to a global platform every couple of weeks, but I absolutely relish the letter-ness of every letter. I think even in today’s keyboard-led writing world, letters are such a familiar and relatable entity.
I've been an indie writer for many years and the biggest highlight is never publishing the works, but rather the incredible community I belong to. Over twenty four years, we've guested on blogs, in newsletters and we've helped each other move forward. It's the best feeling - no professional jealousy at all.
Thank you, Prue! Influences from - and shared with - others is such an important part of a creative life. I relish it! Having a community to share things with and to be influenced by is absolutely wonderful. ☺️
I have really missed collaborating with others since I retired and hid myself away. I love your and Terry’s collaboration. You are so right working with others can be so rewarding. Substack is a great place to watch things grow 😘😘
Oh, thank you, Jo! I hear you re hiding away - my life pattern is different now to how it used to be, and there are some aspects of my hectic former life which I suppose I miss. However, I really appreciate the added time I have now in calmer, quieter solitude, and that has certainly opened some doors to creativity.
I’m so glad you enjoy the correspondence between Terry and me - we have such fun doing it! So grateful.
Substack has offered so many inspirations and new angles to writing for me, but I don't think I ever learned more about writing itself than when I belonged to a couple of writing groups. We were all pretty much amateurs, although one was our poetry instructor from a class we took in a local college. Everyone had a different take on our stories and poems. I learned how to critique, which is something I still do with trepidation. Through these people, I was surprised an amazed to learn how certain words I used were interpreted, or how a reader responded/interpreted my work. I also learned how much I know and how very little I do know. The writing world is a huge place. And among the wonders of it all are readers on Substack, like you Rebecca, and the ego boost I get from your comments. Thank you.
I love what you’ve said here, Sue - it’s great to hear what you’ve said about writing groups. I’ve often wondered about joining one - our local college has some in-person creative writing courses, and of course there’s City Lit where I took a course with Terry back in June, and he’s running an online course early next year which I’m wondering about taking. But on the topic of trepidation, well, I find the prospect of sharing and critiquing really very daunting. Do you feel vulnerable in those situations? I guess I struggle with my confidence.
The attitude of other writers in a group toward your writing depends on the people. In one group I was in, there were a couple of snarky folks who were very talented and sophisticated and were rather impatient with a yokel like me. I bore up with it as long as I could because I learned so much from them. It also spurred a huge outpouring of poems too and encouraged me to publish my book, "When the Horses Come and Go." So you could probably flourish in such a group because you're already published on Substack.
After I left the group, a few members formed another which was smaller, more amateur yet very good at listening and giving fairly decent feedback. You might just try one out by attending and just listening before you commit to offering a piece of your work. Feel the temperature of the room, so to speak. Depending on the group's rules, you may be able to do that for a while before they put their collective feet down and demand you share something. Good luck and have fun with it. The people in such groups could very well become life-long friends.
So…you illustrate a column of mine, and I do it for you, too? In successive weeks? I promise I’d tackle a Rebecca-like subject! And serve up Rebecca-appropriate drawings (lots of maps for you to ignore).
"Linguistic frivolity by Rebecca Holden" could be a book on its own, one page more delightful than another. What a great post, Rebecca. You've described so perfectly what I call Substack U, and I love the German "Schön: incorporated in the word collaboration. (BTW, Schön was the HARDEST word for me to say in my first year of German!) I said, "awwwww" to myself while reading this post. Thanks for the mention, too. Such a good post. Have I said that already? ❤️
"Today Rebecca collaborates all the time with Yesterday Rebecca." I love love love that. What a fun perspective. And this: "But you’re not alone, you’re in a field of others, and being part of a bigger whole is a powerful feeling." 💯
Dieser post ist wirklich schön 💕.
I wish we collaborated some time!
Awww, vielen Dank, Punit! 😊
Lovely collaboration, Rebecca. So glad you wrote for my site. Welcome any time you have a hankering. Others here: all paid subscribers are invited to post--I'll post yours for free--so all may read--and I'll promote you big time, as I did for the lovely Rebecca! 5 bucks gets you a post to promote you. xoxo or if you can't afford that, simply write me and I'll get you on ... xoxo
Thanks so much, Mary!
Great post, Rebecca. So not knowing what I'm going to write about adds a certain frisson? I don't know what I'm going to write about either, but your letters always inspire me
The spontaneity of our letter writing is really exciting. I can of course plan in advance what I’m going to write to you about, but a large part of an ongoing correspondence is the response-to-stimulus aspect of it. Every letter - on both sides - brings at least one brand-new subject, usually more than one, and it’s that aspect that guarantees that at least part of the response will bring something fresh rather than stodgy! 🤣
(Not that I think either of us is stodgy, mind. Just a turn of phrase.) 👀
And thank you so much. Yer smashin’. ☺️
Thanks, the feeling is mutual😍😍, or at least was before you implied that I am full of stodge. It's not my fault that I love jam doughnuts.
😂😉😆
😁
Love all of it!!! I think of living the creative life as an ongoing collaboration with my experiences: people, places, things, thoughts, feelings etc.... I respond creatively to my world. That's what it means to be an artist.
Loved this post!! Keep going!!!💚💚
Oh Sue, how lovely. Thank you!
This is so nice. Collaboration, teamwork, partnering, community… the best part of humanity.
Thanks so much, Carissa! 😊
A very insightful and uplifting post! I enjoyed reading it (and agree with it 100%).
That’s really kind, Liz - thank you so much! ☺️
You’re welcome, Rebecca!
This is fabulous Rebecca! I'm so happy to be on your team! It truly is when the magic happens...working with others. Grateful for you.
So kind of you to say! Hoping to see you a little later at the Write Along! 😘
Oh great! Hope to see you. :)
Thanks, Rebecca, for the link to your Camp Awe-gust posting! I would have missed it otherwise. Instead of going out on the bus to find inspiration this week, I am definitely going out in my back yard and looking down to see what story I can find there. Great idea. And as for the shout out, Raymond thanks you and sends love and fishes.
Oh, I’m so pleased that you’ve had a look at Camp AweGust, Sharron - I think inspiration can be found everywhere, but it’s just a case of knowing that it CAN be if only we knew how to look.
Sending love back to Raymond, too! And a tummy tickle, should he take pleasure in such things. 🐈⬛
You really get around! 😅 I've wondered about the collaborative stories that crop up here from time to time, Rebecca, curious about how they come into being and whether the connections are there before the joint venture or whether they develop as a result.
Having exchanged letters with my mother for many, many years, I often miss that ritual, so the conversation between you and Terry is especially inviting. I also find myself sequestering little bits of information these days when I am among friends in real life, because I know I want to write about it and don't want to spoil the fun. That, too, is rooted in the tradition with my mom. On a phone conversation, one or the other of us might say, "I'm not going to tell you about that, because it will give me something to put in a letter!"
Fun to see how you're sharing your explorations and with whom!
It’s down to the power of Substack! Terry and I had followed each other for just a short while before he approached me to partner with him for the ‘Substack Letters’ project, and it’s been so lovely to get to know him and his writing in this way.
I’m no longer active on traditional social media, but there is plenty I like to share. Things I used to post about on other platforms - a funny road sign I’ve seen, a rant about the weather, a little story I’ve heard, my opinion on the latest book I’ve read - are all things I like to share with people. What I write about in my letters to Terry are exactly those sorts of things: things which I chat to friends about, or include in a letter to a family member. At first I think perhaps I felt vulnerable, publishing a one-to-one letter to a global platform every couple of weeks, but I absolutely relish the letter-ness of every letter. I think even in today’s keyboard-led writing world, letters are such a familiar and relatable entity.
You are so right!
I absolutely love this post.
I've been an indie writer for many years and the biggest highlight is never publishing the works, but rather the incredible community I belong to. Over twenty four years, we've guested on blogs, in newsletters and we've helped each other move forward. It's the best feeling - no professional jealousy at all.
Thank you, Prue! Influences from - and shared with - others is such an important part of a creative life. I relish it! Having a community to share things with and to be influenced by is absolutely wonderful. ☺️
I have really missed collaborating with others since I retired and hid myself away. I love your and Terry’s collaboration. You are so right working with others can be so rewarding. Substack is a great place to watch things grow 😘😘
Oh, thank you, Jo! I hear you re hiding away - my life pattern is different now to how it used to be, and there are some aspects of my hectic former life which I suppose I miss. However, I really appreciate the added time I have now in calmer, quieter solitude, and that has certainly opened some doors to creativity.
I’m so glad you enjoy the correspondence between Terry and me - we have such fun doing it! So grateful.
Substack has offered so many inspirations and new angles to writing for me, but I don't think I ever learned more about writing itself than when I belonged to a couple of writing groups. We were all pretty much amateurs, although one was our poetry instructor from a class we took in a local college. Everyone had a different take on our stories and poems. I learned how to critique, which is something I still do with trepidation. Through these people, I was surprised an amazed to learn how certain words I used were interpreted, or how a reader responded/interpreted my work. I also learned how much I know and how very little I do know. The writing world is a huge place. And among the wonders of it all are readers on Substack, like you Rebecca, and the ego boost I get from your comments. Thank you.
I love what you’ve said here, Sue - it’s great to hear what you’ve said about writing groups. I’ve often wondered about joining one - our local college has some in-person creative writing courses, and of course there’s City Lit where I took a course with Terry back in June, and he’s running an online course early next year which I’m wondering about taking. But on the topic of trepidation, well, I find the prospect of sharing and critiquing really very daunting. Do you feel vulnerable in those situations? I guess I struggle with my confidence.
The attitude of other writers in a group toward your writing depends on the people. In one group I was in, there were a couple of snarky folks who were very talented and sophisticated and were rather impatient with a yokel like me. I bore up with it as long as I could because I learned so much from them. It also spurred a huge outpouring of poems too and encouraged me to publish my book, "When the Horses Come and Go." So you could probably flourish in such a group because you're already published on Substack.
After I left the group, a few members formed another which was smaller, more amateur yet very good at listening and giving fairly decent feedback. You might just try one out by attending and just listening before you commit to offering a piece of your work. Feel the temperature of the room, so to speak. Depending on the group's rules, you may be able to do that for a while before they put their collective feet down and demand you share something. Good luck and have fun with it. The people in such groups could very well become life-long friends.
Oh Sue, this is so, so helpful - I’m very grateful for everything you’ve told me! Thank you so much! 😘
My pleasure.
“Linguistic frivolity” a lovely turn of phrase. And a truly accurate chronicle!
LOL - thanks, Amie! ☺️ I love to play with words and phrases!
So…you illustrate a column of mine, and I do it for you, too? In successive weeks? I promise I’d tackle a Rebecca-like subject! And serve up Rebecca-appropriate drawings (lots of maps for you to ignore).
Oh gosh! Oh wow! Really? 🥳
"Linguistic frivolity by Rebecca Holden" could be a book on its own, one page more delightful than another. What a great post, Rebecca. You've described so perfectly what I call Substack U, and I love the German "Schön: incorporated in the word collaboration. (BTW, Schön was the HARDEST word for me to say in my first year of German!) I said, "awwwww" to myself while reading this post. Thanks for the mention, too. Such a good post. Have I said that already? ❤️
Awwww Mary, I really appreciate you! 😊😊😊Substack U is brilliant, isn’t it - there’s soooooooooo much - and so many people - to learn from!
😍
"Today Rebecca collaborates all the time with Yesterday Rebecca." I love love love that. What a fun perspective. And this: "But you’re not alone, you’re in a field of others, and being part of a bigger whole is a powerful feeling." 💯
There’s such strength in numbers! Thank you so much, Tami. 😘