Better support than an expensive bra!

Support: 1. to carry the weight of; hold up 2. to encourage; help

Support can come in a variety of ways, and those of us in a solitary occupation need to seek our support systems out. It's not like a writer can hang out at the company water cooler to gather the latest gossip, is it?

So we find other means of support. I firmly believe that people come into your life for one of three things: a reason, a season, or a lifetime. No matter which of the three, the person in your life is important.

Here are a few of my "best" support systems.

• My family: First and foremost, my husband is supper supportive of my writing career. Without him, I wouldn't be doing this. At least not at the level I am now. Then there is our youngest daughter (the oldest doesn't live at home anymore), who lets me bounce ideas off her and has no problem helping me scour the area for places to dump the bodies. Talk about support! Thanks, guys!
• Local writers' groups: I belong to one local writers' group (big "shout-out" to the Black Hills Writers' Group!) and we meet once a month. Without them, I might truly grow crazy without people to bounce ideas off. Who else would understand a question like "How deep would you have to bury a body so that a helicopter wouldn't notice anything, but that a hiker might notice a week or so later?"
• Online writers' groups: I'm a member of MANY online groups. They help for the same reason that the Black Hills Writers' Group does. It's a way to ask questions, get advice, know that I'm not alone. They even offer critiques and I certainly need that!
• My friends: I will admit that I don't make friends easily. Acquaintances, I got. I just don't let people get that close. But the ones who do, are there for me in almost all aspects of my life -- from raising a teenager to getting out an exercising to drinking coffee or going out for ice cream. They're the ones who get me back to the "real world."

So that's my list. It's not an all-encompassing one by any means. (The owner of the local yarn store could be considered part of my support system since my knitting hobby certainly helps my stress level & mental state, for example!)

And for everyone who supports me and my writing, THANK YOU! You have no idea how important you are to me.

Blessings!

Nichole