Recently, Mike McNichols, Director of Fuller Theological Seminary, California Coast, in Irvine, CA invited me to take part in an event called Conversations in Writing. Four writers from different walks of life were asked to come in and speak to students about our love of writing, what it was that had gotten us started on our careers, and the like. Along with me were:
Emily
Emily Griesinger, PhD, Professor of English in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Azusa Pacific University, who had most recently co-edited a collection of essays entitled The Gift of Story: Narrating Hope in a Postmodern World (Baylor University Press, 2006).
Dennis Okholm, PhD, Professor of Theology at the Haggard School of Theology, Azusa Pacific University; Visiting Professor of Systematic Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary, whose most recent book is Monk Habits for Everyday People (Brazos Press, 2007)
Christine Spicer, the editor of The Viewpoint, the Alumni Magazine of Point Loma Nazarene University. She has taught writing at both Point Loma and San Diego State University. Her work at Point Loma has been recognized by two 2007 awards for writing and design. Christine is a UCSD Muir College Outstanding Scholar.
Each of us represented one aspect of writing as a career – Emily represented literature, Dennis was our theologian, Christine held the non-fiction torch, and I represented commercial fiction.
It was a wonderful opportunity, a thoroughly enjoyable day, and an event that I hope they repeat again next year (and invite me back!) We spent an entire afternoon just hanging out with students who love writing as much as we do and talking about what had gotten us started in writing, what we loved and what we hated about the process of writing itself, and of hearing how our fellow presenters had felt the same call to put pen to paper regardless of the form chosen.
It reminded me of the importance of being part of a community of like-minded individuals who share a passion that invigorates and inspires you to push for your best. It reminded me that there is so much we can learn from each other, provided we simply take the time to listen.
Dennis and Christine
All of us talked last week about writer’s organizations – why we join them, what we got out of them, and what they can help us with. But I think Lynn hit it best by mentioning the community we all belong to, the internet community, of which this website and the people who participate in it, both as posters and as commenters, fills an important part of my need for like-minded people. We may not always agree, and if we ever did I think it would definitely be a sign that it is time for an injection of a fresh viewpoint, but we are free to share our thoughts, dreams, and frustrations with this thing called writing and that is valuable in and of itself.
Conversations in Writing helped remind me of why I slave away behind the keyboard, slapping words down on paper, and it has left me energized and ready to tackle the next project, whatever it might be.
My cohorts in crime - Dennis Okholm, Emily Griesinger, Mike McNichols, Christine Spicer and myself
