ZBWG. These are not just some of the lesser-used keys on the keyboard or Scrabble tiles with high values, (yes I’m well aware that X, Q and V are missing from the mix), but these letters have meaning. It stands for Zion Benton Writers Guild.

Now, I’m not a newbie to writers groups, and to be truthful my first writers group are my sisters in heart and spirit. Since we are all women, that works out well for us. We are there for each other in the good times and bad.

Trying to make sure the good outweigh the bad, we have a weekend together at least once a year. Usually we to kick a husband or boyfriend out and crash on sofas, but we don’t mind! Wearing our writing t-shirts, which bear our logo: W.I.P. (Writers In Progress) – We Write with Wine, we find our comfy spots and begin to write. And drink wine.

When we can’t convince the male in the house to vamoose, we select a Wisconsin hamlet with a winery nearby (field trips are very important). We book hotel rooms with connecting doors, and pull out the brain food needed to write (sure, there are some veggies, but there’s also dip). It is one small pajama party. There used to be four, but there are only three of us now.

Ever in pursuit of learning the craft, I seek out workshops at local libraries, colleges and universities. It was a recent workshop that introduced me to a new writing family.

Writers Guild (as it appears in my phone’s calendar) has more members and in essence more characters, which is perfect for writers. There is also a broader variety of voices and genres. Again, it couldn’t be more idyllic for a writer.

I was sitting down in front of the laptop working with a manuscript and was thinking about how one of the other members in this group might tackle the scene. I also find myself critiquing my own work more removed than I did more than a year ago.

There’s a mother, father, wacky aunt, a couple of big sisters, and a long lost brother. They all come to the table, ready to share. To listen. To be heard. To learn.  We read things we normally wouldn’t, we feel things we didn’t expect and we grow.

So to me, ZBWG means another family bound by the love of words how we can create with them. To my WIP and ZBWG writers: you are creative families and I am thankful to have your input and support. I love that you’re just as vested in my characters as I am in yours. Our writing futures will only grow stronger together!