…when it’s done, we’d connect our dinghies in an everlasting virtual cartel…

I’ve just entered Joe Bunting’s contest to win one of three memberships in his next Story Cartel group.

Here is my entry:

The writer’s group I belonged to disbanded a number of years ago. Since then, I’ve been afloat without a paddle in a small rubber dinghy with room enough for one. There is a teeny tiny hole in the bottom of the boat. Most of the time I am able to plug it with my finger and forge on with my writing. Sometimes the waters of self-doubt seep in and no matter how quickly I paddle, I cannot stave the flow. Belonging to a writer’s cartel would help connect me to a group of passionate, like-minded individuals. We would listen to each other’s tales and offer support, advice, and encouragement, patching each others’ dinghies. We would teach each other what we’ve learned about the world of publishing, make connections with fellow cartelistas, and build our readership. Then, when it’s done, we’d connect our dinghies in an everlasting virtual cartel and sail off to apply what we’ve learned, posting the occasional tweet about a fellow cartelista that reads “I knew him or her when.”

Wish me luck!