A friend of mine asked me if I would like to be part of a women’s writers group and I said, “sure.” Well, this past Monday we met for the first time. One of the four women decided to back out. I did write to encourage her to discuss her feelings about leaving.

I also had intense trepidations about being part of this writers’ group. The three other women have published stories and my friend just signed a six figure contract with a New York publisher to finish her book in 2008. She’s been told Hollywood is interested in making a feature film about my friend’s experiences in Africa as a peace core worker during the 1970’s. Then there’s me, never took a writing course, no advanced degrees – needless to say, lots of feelings of inferiority has welled up.

During our first meeting it was decided that we each send ten pages of something we’ve written for critique purposes. Well! You can imagine how shaky I felt as I chose the first scene of my screen play to send off to my friends of this newly formed “writers’ group.” I could barely complete the action – but I did. All they can say is, “go back to your writer’s chamber and begin again.” Not so bad. Rewriting, re-tweaking and repeat the process can only improve the play. Right?

I’m profoundly devoted to writing this screen play to its completion. I won’t stop there – the play will not be put in a drawer and forgotten about. I will do everything in my power to have this screen play produced. I appear shy and quiet to people but there is a side to me that is quietly persistent and charmingly assertive.

~~ Susan Elkin