I have the best writing committee ever! This group of distinguished writers – mostly women, but a few notable men – help to guide me as I write my books. They have been with me since the start. Sometimes, depending on what I’m writing, I may swap out a committee member for a new one who feels better suited for what I am creating, as well as the person I’ve evolved into at that moment in time. You would think these celebrated writers would take offense, but they never do. This is probably due to the fact that they have already tread the path that I am on, and are wiser and kinder for it. This is also probably due to them having better things to do with their time than worry about why I won’t be consulting them during my current project. But in all honesty, it probably has more to do with the fact that the majority of the members of my writing committee do not know me, have never met me. In fact, some of them are with me only in spirit.
Each member of my committee helps me in a particular way. Some give me the courage to speak honestly and truthfully. Others help me to remember where I come from and whose shoulders I stand upon. Some teach me how to use words magically and lyrically. Some will encourage me to remain kind, and others will remind me that I do not have to be anything other than my true authentic self.
I’d like to introduce you to some of the members of my current writing committee:
· Dr. Maya Angelou
· James Baldwin
· Michael A. Singer
· Miz Mattie (the matriarch of my novel, Sisters in Spirit)
· Sister Eliza (my mom)
· Zora Neale Hurston
· Paul Simon
Form your own writing committee. Obviously, there are no limitations to who you can invite. The only true criterion is that they help you become a better person while becoming a better writer.
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