Connecting the Dots

I’ve been at this writing game for a long time. Over the years I’ve made a lot of connections with other writers, groups, marketers, influencers, and more. Some of these were through groups and organizations which I am still a part of while others have come and gone.

InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship is one example. After being introduced to this Canada-wide organization for Christian writers in 2010, I somehow found my way onto the executive and am still serving as the current president.

Another group that I found early in my published career was a favourite until it folded when ‘Ning networks’ kind of went the way of MySpace (and the dinosaur…) Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers was one of my favourite places to connect online and I met many wonderful authors who I am still in contact with today – just not through that platform.

These days, I am most apt to connect through FB groups. With so many groups and so many options, however, sometimes it feels difficult to really connect. Sure, we can skim each other’s posts and ‘like’ or comment, but are we really and truly connecting? A friend of mine started a group on ‘Mighty Networks’ called ‘The Book Hatchery’ which seems to be garnering some real conversations, and I am genuinely interested and try to be active on ‘Writing On the Edge’ on Facebook. Still, so many groups and so little time…

I’ve been drawn to Instagram more and definitely to more podcasts and videos, where it feels like you get to know people on a different level. In all of this connectivity, I’m also connecting more through small ZOOM groups. Perhaps it is a function of the need for more human interaction post-Covid.

In any case, with so many voices vying for my attention, I find myself relying more and more on the Holy Spirit’s leading. I can’t possibly be everywhere, nor do I wish to be. But somewhere in the mix, there must be a place for real connection between people. That’s really all we can ask.