Today I have a guest post to share by friend and fellow writer Thirzah.

Thirzah and I met when I toured the apprenticeship program where I’m currently starting my second and final year as a student. Since we met I’ve had the honor of participating in two of her book launches (you should really read her books btw)!

Now I’ll hand it over to her:

The World Beyond The Screen

Writing is a one-person job.

At least, that’s what I believed when I first became a full-time author.

After all, while I might have a publisher, an editor or two, and other people who assist me with
the book production process, ultimately, I’m the one who has to get the words written down on
the page.

And sometimes, I get so caught up in the moment (me, my laptop, and the blank document on
the screen in front of me) that I don’t see the full picture:

There’s an entire world beyond my laptop screen.

There are people—friends, family, acquaintances, and even complete strangers who are such
an important part of my life as an author, and as a person.

The Value of Community

It took me a long time to realize how valuable it would be to invest just as much time and energy
into deepening my relationships with the people around me as I invest into improving my
writing.

But now that I have made that realization, I’ve seen such a positive change in every aspect of
my life and career.

So today, I want to share three ways that being a part of a community has impacted my writing
and my life for the better.

Community Inspires & Teaches

One of the biggest fears I had about investing in my relationships and spending time with
friends and family, was that it would distract me from my writing—my full-time job.

I also expected that pouring my time and energy into any relationships with other people would
leave me feeling hollow and drained, like it has in the past.

But instead, to my surprise, going out and doing fun things with friends or hanging out with
family members cures my burnout, re-sparks my creativity, and most importantly, it makes me
happy!

Community Supports

One of the things I learned back when I published my first book, The Librarian’s Ruse, is that
writing isn’t a one-person occupation.

Just like it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a community to publish a book.

Yes, I do the initial writing all own my own, but then there are editors, the cover and interior
book designers, the proofreader, the publisher, and of course, the readers, reviewers, and other
supporters.

My latest book, A Traitor’s Vow, was such a difficult story for me to write. My life felt like it was
falling apart all around me with every word I wrote. Between deaths and near-deaths of family
and friends, seasonal depression, stress, and sickness, it took all my willpower to get out of bed
every morning—let alone write my stories.

I clung to hope, and to God during this time, and I thought that that would be enough. But God
showed me that he placed me where I was for a reason. He provided me with a community that
not only rallied around me while I was at my lowest point, but lifted me up and out of the mire of
self-pity, anger, and pain that I was wallowing in.

If it weren’t for every single person who checked in on me, invited me out to do fun things, or
took the time to pray for me, I’m not sure that I’d be where I am today (and A Traitor’s Vow
never would have seen the light of publication).

Community Celebrates

One of my favorite things about being a part of a community is the way we all celebrate each
other’s’ achievements and moments—big or small.

Whether it’s birthdays, recitals, new cars, jobs, or any other accomplishment, everyone in my
community is quick to cheer each other on.

It feels good to celebrate, and be celebrated. And it feels like no matter how much I pour into
celebrating the people in my community, I always get more back.

The amount of people who worked together to help me celebrate the release of A Traitor’s Vow
completely shocked me (in a really good way).

There are those who joined my launch team, those who bought the book, read, and reviewed it,
those who set up an entire launch party for my book, and those who drove over an hour just to
attend it.

It’s A Choice

I can’t even begin to describe how grateful I am for the community that God gave me. And I’m
really grateful that I made the decision to pour into my relationships instead of letting fear keep
me away from having anything to do with them.

The most important lesson that I’ve learned during the last few years is that we weren’t meant to
do life alone.

So I’ve made my decision: I’m not going to.