A Matter of Perspective

Have you ever noticed that the people who talk the most often have the most to complain about? Sometimes, you just wish they’d pause long enough to hear themselves. Then, there are others who might never say anything that could hurt someone’s feelings. They probably should speak up, but they’re from the school of thought that “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”

Some folks, though, have found that happy medium: they know when to speak out and when to stay silent. There truly is a time for everything.

And guess what time it is this month? You guessed it—NaNoWriMo! (For those who haven’t read my column in the past few years, that stands for National Novel Writing Month.)

It’s that time again when both seasoned writers and curious newcomers dedicate November to drafting the first version of a novel, aiming for a hefty 50,000 words. I haven’t quite hit the mark yet, but this year feels promising. I’ve found a solid group of people who are committed to writing alongside me. We’ll cheer each other on, especially when our muses get sidetracked by shiny distractions.

Sometimes, when you find your people, you just know it. I think I may have finally found “my people”—a group of like-minded writers who simply want to tell stories. Some write romance; one of my guy friends in the group writes some of the best! Others dive into horror or non-fiction, but at our core, we all share a passion for storytelling.

For the longest time, I avoided mingling with other writers. Hollywood had painted them as snobby, highfalutin types, and I wanted nothing to do with that. But my friends? They’re nothing like that. They’re down-to-earth people trying to make a living, just like everyone else. They’re writing the very stories many of us love to read.

I’m grateful to be among them and proud to call them friends.

If you would like to write with me this month of November, let me know. I know there are some of you out there—Chris—who want to write but just don’t know how to get started. Let’s talk!

Email me at: karin@karinnauber.com and we’ll get together.