Story Circle Network, how I do love thee: Let me count the ways!
I was introduced to Story Circle Network by my friend about seven years ago. She had me at “all women writing circle.” In a field that had previously been dominated by men from 1950 until the year 2000, I finally felt my female voice might be heard. I immediately joined.
The first thing I submitted to Story Circle was a poem I had written five years earlier, but was unable to find a publishing home for it. A few days later I received a notice that the poem had been accepted for publication in its upcoming quarterly journal. My confidence boosted, I submitted short stories to other publications and writing venues. I happily report I’ve been published in three of Story Circle’s anthologies, twice in their journal, and a handful of other publications. In September of 2020 I published my first collection of creative non-fiction stories with Amazon. The experience of publishing a book, seeing your baby in print, with your name on the cover, well…it’s thrilling, exciting and makes you happy to know that others will be reading words that you painstakingly arranged in an effort to communicate and build a common thread with those readers.
Publishing was a unique experience to say the least, but it was not the only advantage of belonging to an all women’s writing circle. There was a time that my only writing buddy was my friend. My other close-knit friends have hobbies, volunteer, or are completely devoted to babysitting their grandchildren—and although they are all dedicated readers, none of them write. Once I joined Story Circle, I was linked via email, zoom, and later by telephone, with many other members in the network with whom I could share my writing and receive critiques or support in order to learn. I met all of these wonderful women through taking writing workshops offered by Story Circle’s ever impressive group of female lecturers. I’ve taken classes on memoir writing, flash non-fiction, and numerous others. I’ve made lasting friendships with like-minded writers and lecturers all over this country and Canada.
Currently, I am revising a memoir that has been edited twice, I am dabbling in fiction—a story I hope to release a chapter at a time somewhere online in order to receive feedback by ordinary readers with extraordinary insights—and a second creative non-fiction collection.
It all became a reality for me simply by joining the journey with other devoted writers at Story Circle Network.
