HEART 2 HEART ~ "Mind Your Writing Manners"

Hi all,

I'ts been my melancholy observation that some of us, most of us writers, do not always "mind our writing manners." Many of us do, yet some do not.

As a writer, any and all communication is important. Now most of our communication seems to be over the Internet, snail-mail reserved only for obligatory messaging. Some of us old fogies have had to be dragged, kicking and screaming, to the Net! Ouch! Anyway, once there, most of us have managed to learn the basics and try to respectfully network, ever struggling to transer our "writing manners" from pen and paper to the Net.

I suppose all writers have a touch of narcissim, as this seems to develop over time and comes with the territory. I suppose too, that all writers are pretty much always busy, with little extra time (an oxymoron in our case). I've discovered that there is a wonderful rhythm when communicating with some writers and editors, all busy all of the time. You ask them a question. They answer. They ask you a question. You answer. You need help. They help. They need help. You help. Back and forth ... nice and easy ... like a smooth country western tune.

The bottom line is that everyone takes valuable time out of their writing day to socially network, et al, which often includes answering e-mails, sometimes in great detail, and is often about securing author quotes or how to get a kink worked out in their book or what's the best way to market this and that, etc. I'm amazed when some do not bother to get back, once you've helped them in some way. To me it's sad and very telling.

I'm venting here but it's for a purpose, a good one I can only hope. We, all of us, need to "always" mind our writing manners and never forget, hell or high water, to get back to folks. It's just plain rude if we do not. It's disrespectful. Just like we try not to forget to dot our i's and cross out t's in our manuscripts, we must never forget that there's another person on the other end, waiting for a response.

Thank goodness for the writers and editors and loyal readers (readers always, always get back to us) that make sure and return e-calls and cell calls and everything else. Funny, but it's always the big name writers and important editors that get back to us, that always give us some of their time, no matter how busy. They don't know the meaning of the word "no." It isn't in their vocabulary.

It is these brave few that I hope to emulate. It is to these brave few that I raise my glass of chilled chardonnay on this lovely July evening ... these brave few who ever "mind their writing manners" and ever make us smile and feel light of heart!"

Salute!

Jo(anne) Gregg Sundell
www.joannesundell.com
author@joannesundell.com

MATCHMAKER, MATCHMAKER
A...MY NAME'S AMELIA
THE PARLOR HOUSE DAUGHTER
MEGGIE'S REMAINS