Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Empty Nest



This is my pirate goodbye. 

I feel like I’m about to have one of those sad montages. You know what I’m talking about. These scenes have a Boyz II Men song playing in the background. Us pirates are garbed in white robes and the light of heaven shines down on us while we tearfully hug one another promising to keep in touch. 

But in all reality, we’re just messing around and we rip off our white robes to reveal sultry skimpy pirate garb and pull out barrels of liquor to ply Satan with while we take over hell. 

In all honesty, it hit me a little harder than I thought it would. I’m not much of a sentimental girl. I don’t like hugs. I don’t like talking about my feelings. But the thought of saying goodbye to a ship’s deck I’ve spent countless days upon (well, more like all my time in the Crow’s Nest with the Undead Monkey) is a little sentimental. It was upon the ship’s deck I realized I could possibly write an original story. I could branch out from just fan fiction. That I was capable of telling a different kind of story. I’ve stumbled plenty over the years but reading the encouraging words of this ship’s crew kept me going when I wanted to just give it up.

I’m really just a girl who likes to wear baggy sweatpants and hoodies. I stay up way past a reasonable bed time in favor of romancing the keyboard with my fingertips in an attempt to write the stories embedded in this mind. Yet, these few year have made me feel like someone who could be a writer. You made me feel like I just had to put my mind to it and you’d believe I could do it. So thank you to the crew – the pirates – who befriended a nobody fan fiction writer on the Eloisa James board and encouraged me to come blog about a subject I really don’t have any useful knowledge about (writing). And the commenters who stayed with me even when my blogs turned into crazy rambling attempts to convey writing things. And the readers who may not have commented but took the time to stop by. Last the friends I’ve gained from this adventure. We’ll always be friends. That’s what this is all about.

So thank you. May I see you again in the future; and if not, good luck with your own adventures. When the going gets tough remember there is someone out there waiting to read your story. I believe in you Dear Writer.Dear Commenter. Dear Reader. Dear Friend.

Tell me what’s been your favorite part of the RWR experience and what you’ll miss the most.

35 comments:

Marnee Bailey said...

Awh, this made me sniffy. :(

My favorite part of all of this has been you guys. For sure. When I started writing, I reached out and found other romance writers, other people where I was. Writing can be a lonely endeavor. It was awesome to meet others like me.

But then, even that group is big. There are a lot of people out there doing this. So, when I found you guys, it was like I found my own little place in this bigger world.

Thanks all of you for doing that for me. :)

Terri Osburn said...

Sounds crazy, but I think I'll miss the tangents and the times we veered off course and started saying off the wall things. All the inside jokes (which probably confused the hell out of anyone passing by) but mostly the unending support. We may be sporting black pom poms and showing more cleavage than should be seen on a sideline, but this is a damn awesome group of cheerleaders.

Hellie Sinclair said...

Sin, whenever you're having doubts about your capabilities as a writer--or being a published author--just shoot the undead monkey. It'll make everyone feel better, I promise.

What will I miss most? Our brilliant posts. *LOL* Oh, they were semi-rare, but when they happened, they were GOLDEN--and yes, the tangents were a thing of beauty. *LOL* And our support of each other, though I don't think we'll be losing that just because we won't officially be on the ship. We can still pom-pom from afar, if necessary.

JulieJustJulie said...

First of all let me say that I'm reeling from the fact that SIN just used the word hugs!?
Its a darn good thing I'm sitting down. Or I'd fall over.
It's been sad to watch his last few weeks. Especially since I have been reduced to sitting on the sidelines ( injured tendons in my right hand, nothing new really). No writing for me ... just reading and watching. But maybe that hasn't been a bad thing. Because it's been the reading and the watching that has brought me the greatest pleasure. Reading your work. Watching you grow as writers. Sailing on The RWR has been a Splendid ride, a pleasure, a rare treat. Thank you, all of you, for sharing your journey.

JulieJustJulie said...

And I too will miss those Lovely Pirate Tangents.

Quantum said...

I'll miss the very individualistic (eccentric?) approach to writing ideas and reviews. Hellie's parodies of course. But most of all the sheer glamour that shines through the words. You are all beautiful people with beautiful thoughts. I'm gonna miss you all!

I'll have to see what else is sailing that only takes a few minutes over breakfast, but I doubt that anything can compare with the revenge.

Bon Voyage Sin!
May your God go with you. *final smile*

Sin said...

Q, I feel like we needed a secret handshake and never made one up.

Go my child and be free.

Sin said...

Jules, you're a hot mess.

I was hoping you wouldn't notice the hug thing. You might hold me to it.

Sin said...

GDI I was commenting and the blog signed me out. Apparently, it's done with me too.

Sin said...

Hells, everyday on the revenge is GOLDEN.

But not as in the "Stay golden pony boy," sort of way; but the golden of like unicorns and hot men kind of GOLDEN.

Sin said...

Ter, I'd say this group is the best damn lot of cheerleaders liquor could buy.

Sin said...

Awh, Marn, the best day was the day you posted the chicken salad post. May chicken salad live on in infamy.

JulieJustJulie said...

"Jules, you're a hot mess"

You make me sound like a glue gun gone bad.

Sin said...

That's a pretty accurate description.

*grin*

JulieJustJulie said...

I love how Q put the word Eccentric in parentheses. And then, THEN he Called you glamorous! Well, actually he called your words glamorous. really does get a better than that?

" sniff "'

I wanna be glamorous toooo. Maybe I'll get a Bedazzler and dazzle the devil out of my hand brace. Now ... As far as figuring out how to be eccentric goes? I haven't a clue ...

JulieJustJulie said...

An accurate description indeed. Listen here you little sh!t tall person you ... Talk like that, and you might find more than my hand brace getting bedazzled.

Sin said...

I thought you were gonna go with vagazzling, but I guess to each their own.

Sin said...

And Q didn't say *I* was glamorous. There is nothing glamorous about baggy sweat pants, hoodies and uncombed hair. The ship's words are glamorous and will continue to shine in the night like a beacon to lost writer's all around the Internet world.

Hellie Sinclair said...

*singing* "Here we vagazzling amongst the [BLEEP] waxed clean..."

Sorry, that's not the lyrics to the Christmas song is it? huh. Not sure where that came from.

Sin said...

I hope you recall this type of tangenting when I blog to Tumblr in my next writer life, Jules. Vagazzling included.

JulieJustJulie said...

Omg
So tempting to respond in kind.
I can't say it.
I can't ... I .... No .... Stop ... The temptation is killing me ...
But no. I'm a lady and ladies cannot say ...
" VAGAZZIWHATS. I bring up a glue gun gone bad. And Immediately your mind wanders off pondering upon things that are hot sticky. Honestly some people just can't get your mind out of the gutter."

JulieJustJulie said...

So glad I resisted the temptation of posting.

JulieJustJulie said...

And when don't I go off on a tangent?
I've seen pictures of you looking glamorous MissSIN, so don't even try to pretend that you're not.

JulieJustJulie said...

Wicked Hellion ... You going to hear about it if I start giggling next time I hear the real song.

Sin said...

So glad I resisted the temptation of posting.

Posting pictures... need I remind you we run a clean ship?!

JulieJustJulie said...

And really, now that I think about it, it's not so much that I'm going off on a tangent.
No.
Its not so much that I'm going off on a tangent, as it is giving one a glimpse into an alternate universe.
And yes
For those of you who are wondering ... yes, I can say that with a completely innocent face.

Sin said...

Yes the AU always makes an appearance right before the end.

JulieJustJulie said...

" ... need I remind you we run a clean ship?!"
Certainly not! I'm sure Everything very, very clean. I, and everyone else , read Hellion's post about all of waxing whatnots.

JulieJustJulie said...

"Yes the AU always makes an appearance right before the end."
The plank looms nearerrrrrrrrr ...

JulieJustJulie said...

"I was hoping you wouldn't notice the hug thing. You might hold me to it."
Ha, You're not fooling me with all that hug talk . You're just trying to see if you can give me to embrace the Dark side.

Sin said...

You're just trying to see if you can give me to embrace the Dark side.

I got cookies.

JulieJustJulie said...

Evil temptress

JulieJustJulie said...

Rumor has it you guys have chicken salad too.

Maureen said...

What I'll miss the most are the drinks. Okay, and the crew. And Q. The off the wall responses to my off the wall blogs. Love all of ya!

Janga said...

I'm late because I had a wild day--as my posting time should confirm. But I will miss most the mix of personalities--different types of people with different writing goals and different life experience all woven together in a community where everyone is accepted, no one is judged, and a sense of humor is the only price of admission. The combination is rarer than you realize. I'm grateful I was privileged to visit regularly.