Friday, June 8, 2012

Ask Elnora--About Beaches and Girlfriends??? Lenora Worth

Elnora loves to take long, meandering trips with girlfriends. It's hard to explain to non-girlfriend types (such as men) why women love to travel in packs and explore strange and exotic places (like the shoe department aisle). Men find adventure in hunting out in the woods. Women find adventure in hunting in housewares. Men like to go to ball games and cheer on their favorite teams. Women will go with them and check out what all the other women are wearing. Who won, anyway? (That rule doesn't apply at little league games. Women at these events turn into banshees--screaming and clapping and harrassing innocent umpires. But I digress.) I wasn't always a pack-traveling girl. I grew up the youngest of seven, so I kind of enjoyed my alone time. I had three older sisters and a lot of drama to deal with. I had three older brothers, too. Another kind of drama. I'd watch from the fringes and listen and wonder above the fray about what was out there on that long county line road. I had a yearning to go to faraway places and see different people. I never knew how much fun that could be until I started traveling with other women. Beach trips with church friends, road trips to conferences with writerly friends. The first group laughs and gossips and shops (even at gas stations, of course.) The second group plots and plans and obsesses over the next story line, on planes and in cars and even in trams taking them to planes and cars. Both groups have a dynamite that calls to Elnora's restless traveling soul. Both groups fascinate me and challenge me and make me laugh and sometimes, make me cry. But that got me to thinking--What is it about beach trips and plane rides and women traveling in packs? Why do we have so much fun with our friends? When I think about what I do for a living, I'm always amazed and blessed to realize that because of this fun job I get to travel in my mind to faraway places and I get to travel in reality with some fabulous friends who "get" me. My writer friends understand the parts of me that my "civilian" friends might not get. My "civilian" friends support my efforts and read my books and buy them for their friends, even when they might not get that part of me. It's an amazing process, this making of friends. It takes a lifetime and pours it all into a few precious minutes. Sometimes you meet someone and things just click. That's what friendship is all about. So, my darlings, my worldly friends, my Friday girls who cheer me and chat with me--what is it about beaches and girlfriends and traveling that calls to women the world over? Let's discuss. And then please read below this picture--Elnora has an exciting announcement about something new we are planning, beginning next Friday! Okay, starting next Friday (the third Friday of the month) we will have a new feature here on the Craftie Ladies blog. It will be "Ask Elnora--About Writing." I, along with all the other way-talented Love Inspired Writers here, will answer your questions about writing a book. That's right. Anything you want to know--if we can't answer it, we will take it to one of our hardworking editors and hopefully they will be able to help. Want to know about developing characters, come see us on the Third Friday of the Month and we will discuss characters. Have a question already? Send it to Elnora through my website at www.lenoraworth.com. I will bring it here and we will discuss. But only on the Third Friday of the Month. Anything you'd like to discuss--characters, plot, scene and sequel, revisions and edits, setting and pacing, synopsis writing and sagging middles. We've seen it all, hear it all and cried about all of it! We'lll figure things out together. If you're a reader and not a writer, don't panic. We'd like to hear from you, too. Your encouragement and suggestions will help all of us! So now I have Beaching Girlfriends, Writer Girlfriends and Blogging Girlfriends. Let's add Third Friday Friends Who Must Write to that list. It will be like a long, lovely road trip where we all get to find The End. So ... back to Beaches and Girlfriends? Let's discuss!

8 comments:

  1. Lenora, I LOVE to travel in packs! Whether it's a pack of two, or more.

    I've had beach trips with my critique group (writer friends). I've had girls' night out with my church friends (we all started going out together on Sunday evenings while our kids were in youth group--started out as getting dessert that grew into dinners and movies as our kids got older and could drive to the church on their own). :) I have another friend who goes to late night movie openings with me (we're talking midnight movies!)

    I love to travel with my Georgia writer friends to conferences! (Just got plane tickets with Debby Giusti for the ACFW conference in Dallas!)

    I love getting together with my Seekerville blog friends in person! And I love meeting up with Craftie Ladies bloggers at conferences as well!

    I think the main reason I get with these groups is for talking. Just chatting about our families and what's going on in our lives. Sharing and supporting each other.

    Great topic today! I also look forward to the writing tips Fridays!

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  2. Waving to Missy, and so excited we'll be traveling together to ACFW.

    I flew to a Readers Luncheon BY MYSELF a few months ago and was so lonely. Love sharing the fun with a girlfriend. Of course, once my plane landed, sweet Laura Scott--who writes LIS stories-- met me at the airport and we talked about writing while enjoying dinner that night.

    Girls like to share things with other girls...share the fun, share the problems, share the struggles, share the joys.

    I'm thrilled about our upcoming Third Friday Ask Anything About Writing adventure. BTW, guys are invited too!

    Hugs!

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  3. I have to laugh when I was in Canada my friend spent almost an hour in the shoe shop. All I wanted to do was go to the souvenier shop to get something but no I had to stay there. I was almost in tears talking with the other to another friend that was there who could see I was at breaking point.
    I actually like the idea of going to the ball game only for me cricket or an AFL (Aussie Rules) game. In fact I do am going to an AFL game in about 4 weeks.

    I really don't have alot of 3d friends to travel with. even when it comes to church I wonder will I ever be in a group or the right age. After High school I was older than the other youth but to young for the next group. then the ones around my age started getting married so again I didn't fit in. Then I was single (still am) and didn't fit in. Now I am that bit older but to young again as we have alot late 50's (im late 40's) so get excluded from that group too. Gets to the point will I ever fit in.

    Wen it comes to traveling I often go alone but when I go to Melbourne I make sure I spend a day with a friend close by. She cooks me Lamb roast!

    When I went to Canada the first time it was to meet some online friends for a retreat and it was so much fun. Going back and catching up with a few was great too.

    Hopefully next April/May I will get to meet a few of you when I come over. I keep telling my friends my author friend Patty Hall is taking me to have a naked dog.

    Oh I have no problem traveling alone as I am use to it. you always find fun people to chat with. my 13 days in Hawaii I didn't feel alone at all, I admit it would have been nice to share some of the time but it was so good just to be away from everything here.

    Ok time to go back to bed. feeling much better tonight.

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  4. Oh, oh, oh. I will be there next Friday. I think I will spray saline solution in the air and put on suntan oil just to feel like I am at a writing retreat on the beach.

    My big trip will be to Moonlight and Magnolias in the fall. Not only will I be able to see people I only know through FB but I have a dear friend who lives in Atlanta to catch up with.

    Peace, Julie

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  5. Great posts , ladies. I've been out all day with beaching friends. Seven women in our tiny townhouse. It rained all day so of course we went shopping. Wal-Mart will never the same!! I'm excited about our writer fridays too. And yes, we welcome men who have questions, too!

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  6. Julie!! I'm so excited you're coming to M&M!!! I'll get to see you there. :)

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  7. Oh my gosh, Julie!!! I'm so thrilled you'll be at M&M!!!!

    YAY!!!

    Which reminds me. I need to register! :)

    Hugs!

    Looking forward to seeing Ausjenny...hopefully in the A-T-L!!!

    ReplyDelete

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