What would I do without my writing group?

My friend Leslie and I think it was fate that put us together that fall day. I was working at Kent Place School and she was a newly-arrived spouse living on campus. She was a writer, I the librarian. Then we realized we had many more connections--writers we know, books we love, college connections. And we became great friends. Such good friends that when I retired from a long, happy, challenging, fun career, Leslie had the perfect solution for my next life. She knew I loved to write, had published a few journal articles. Join her writers group! she insisted. Work on my novel! Or at least an essay or two.

Kay, Leslie, Lee, Ann and I met every week- that's right, every week-- for over five years. I wrote a mid-grade manuscript, book reviews, a few essays. Leslie mentored with great patience. Then we moved, became quasi snowbirds, or "splitters" as we are often referred to. Splitting our time between New Jersey and Florida. How was I going to survive without a critique group? Enter SCBWI. Now I have two terrific groups. Not to mention the best online critique buddy, AKA as The Logic Police. Life is good. Like yesterday, when I was pulling my hair out over title picking, my Florida group- Teddie, Melissa and Greg- brainstormed titles with me, and they saved the day. Even Leslie, now living in Massachusetts but only a phone call away, weighed in on title choices. Like I said, what would I do without my writers.