Monday Guest Blogging: The Lovely & Talented Cory Jackson on Writer Friendships

Today GotYA is thrilled to have Cory Jackson with us today. Cory is a YA writer repped by Laura Bradford.


Friend of Writers

It’s not enough to Follow Friday them. It’s certainly not enough to give them a virtual pat on the back. Your friends have listened to you expound loudly and frequently on the hardships of publishing. They’ve commiserated when you didn’t hear back from that agent/editor like you wanted. They’ve talked you through plot problems and talked you into writing that story you weren’t sure about and talked you out of quitting when you thought you couldn’t keep on.

That’s an awful lot of talking and even more love. Especially if those Friends are not part of the publishing insanity. So have you thanked them lately for putting up with you?

Here are a few tips for giving back.

1. Send a handwritten note to say thank you, love you, or just thinking of you. We send dozens of emails a day and trade as many tweets. These things can’t possibly replace how it feels to open up the mailbox and see physical proof that someone cares about you.

2. Try not talking about your writing during a visit. If you are like me, you tend to obsess about your work. Maybe make it a point to share time with a friend when you don’t talk about writing, publishing, or any variance of either.

3. Buy your friend a coffee or a candy bar when they aren’t expecting it. People like to know you are thinking of them when you’re not together. Pick up their favorite treat and you’ll earn a smile.

4. Send an ecard for no reason at all. Don’t wait for an occasion to celebrate your friend. Ecards are a free, easy way to let your friend know you care.

5. Call. Has it been a while since you called for no reason at all? Try it. Let them know how much you appreciate them going on this journey with you.

And finally, when you get that deal, don’t forget who sat in the trenches with you, from eating ice cream in your flannel pajamas while watching Spongebob to celebrating that first big phone call from an agent/editor. Remember them, and appreciate how they jumped up and down with you when you got the news and didn’t act surprised in the least because they believed in you all along. And then send them another thank you.

*off to send an ecard to the Got YA ladies to thank them for having me*

Cory Jackson
corrinelj@gmail.com
www.corrinejackson.com