by Miriam Gershow

Writing means solitude. You spend your days sitting in your study tapping out words. I sometimes wonder why I didn’t choose dance (aside from profound clumsiness) or acting (aside from my insufferably hammy high school theater days) instead. Those guys got castmates! And troupes!

I discovered, though, while writing my debut novel, THE LOCAL NEWS, that there was a whole community helping keep the process afloat, including:

Readers: I have several brilliant writer friends who’ve read my work for years, understand what I’m trying to do, and offer unflinching honesty whenever I come up short. Three of them read early drafts. Their wisdom indelibly shaped the final book.

Cheerleaders: This was a slightly wider circle, which included but expanded beyond my readers. My cheerleaders weren’t necessarily writers. They had only one task. When I got discouraged, they reminded me I could do this. They let me complain. They let me feel sorry for myself. They let me stew. Then they reminded again me I could do this.

Pit Crew: This was the biggest category–spouse, family, friends, colleagues–who provided the necessary maintenance to keep me going. My husband gave nightly foot rubs. My nieces colored and played and otherwise distracted me. My department scheduler made sure I taught all my classes on the same days, so I could have days off devoted to writing. The list goes on and on.

I still sit alone in my study most days, but now I’m aware of everyone out there. My troupe!

Twitter: @miriamgershow
Facebook: http://artist.to/miriamgershow
Website: http://www.miriamgershow.com

Miriam Gershow’s novel, THE LOCAL NEWS, was published in 2009 by Spiegel & Grau. She lives in Eugene OR, where she wrangles an infant, teaches and works on her next novel.

Get the book here.