Face-To-Face

On a whim, I emailed my critique buddy who lives here in town. Not only are we both fiction writers and critique partners, but we're good friends, too. I haven't seen her for awhile due to health problems (both of us), job challenges, her son getting married, the holidays, etc., etc. So I emailed her today to ask if she'd like to meet for coffee since I knew we both had the day off, and she was up for it.

We met at a local place and had coffee (okay, I had a diet Pepsi and a red velvet cookie - bad, I know!) and talked and talked and laughed and commiserated with each other. We talked about our jobs, our families, our faith, and of course, we talked about our writing.

Most of my writing friends are online. I'm deeply thankful for them all because writing is a solitary business. But it is also important to have writing friends off-line, too. Being able to hear the other person's voice and see them face to face is essential for knowing that we are not alone. We can put a face, a voice, a mannerism, a wave of the hand, to that person. Sure, you can Skype with someone, but really, it's not quite the same thing as meeting them in person.

We both resolved not to let so much time go by again before we reconnect. We're also planning to have a mini writing retreat of our own in the next few months. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to do nothing but work on my fiction!

In Holiday News...

We had a very quiet Christmas and we will have a very quiet New Year's Eve. We don't ever go out on this night because it's far safer to stay home and it's also a lot quieter. Ha! Does that mean we're getting old? I suppose. My husband told me tonight that he will try to stay up until midnight, but since he is used to falling asleep early every night, I'm not counting on it.

Still, I plan on watching some good movies and having my annual New Year's Eve snack: Lays potato chips and French onion dip. I think I started eating this snack every New Year's Eve when I was in high school, and I've continued the tradition through the years.

Then it's back to work on Thursday! Sigh. I'm not ready. I'd much rather stay home and work on my writing projects. But in a way, it's nice to get back into a routine. I've let my eating habits sort of run by the wayside this past week and a half. Must get that back on track soon! (After the chips and dip, of course!).

Happy New Year to you and yours!