Today, I attended a Zoom board meeting for Story Circle Network, the all-women’s writing organization for which I’ve served as president for the past three years. At the meeting, ten of us sat as old friends and discussed the business end of our non-profit, such as how to garner more members and how to increase the quality of care for our current members. We also took time to write about and share how SCN had enriched our lives this past year.

One of the luckiest days of my life was when a woman writer friend of mine said to me back in 2008, “I’ve heard of this organization and I think you might like it.” I was a fledgling writer and needed a support system, so I decided to look online and see what Story Circle Network was all about. I found a modest website with a big mission: to encourage all women to tell their stories. I liked the inclusivity of that statement, which rang true with my own belief that women need the encouragement to not only write but also to share their life experiences. I signed up for an e-circle where I joined eight other women online who wrote a short piece monthly based on a writing prompt and then shared that piece with the group. The rules clearly stated this was not for critique but rather for encouragement. I liked the sound of that and began sharing my short memoir pieces with the group and also reading the work the other women shared. I found myself slowly bonding with that group based on our shared life experiences.

Since that time, I have not only become close friends with many of the women in my e-circle but have also found my place within the organization. I have presented workshops at numerous SCN conferences, taught countless classes, conducted international writing workshops and sightseeing tours, eventually became the online class coordinator, and have served on the board as a member, vice president, and, more recently, as president. Over these years, I have also developed relationships with hundreds of women writers and have received not only their mentorship but also their friendship. The action I took on that day back in 2008 truly shifted the trajectory of my life.

Today, with my writing sisters, we discussed how to open our arms even wider to women writers around the globe. We want to encourage more young women to join our ranks, to offer more support for all levels of writers, to provide even more publishing opportunities through our contests, publications, and blogs, and to assure every person who identifies as a woman or is non-binary that they have a safe place to share the stories of their lives at Story Circle Network.

Yesterday, I hosted a SCN webinar with the presenter, Francesca Aniballi, who hails from a small town outside of Rome, Italy. Her workshop was entitled, “From the Maze and Out: From Fairy Tales to Life Stories.” Francesca’s workshop was creative and inspiring and I believe the attendees will add her suggestions to their bag of writing tools. Today, I received an email from Francesca who wrote: “Thank you for having me present. I enjoyed every second of our time together! I am honored to be part of Story Circle Network. It feels like a homecoming.”

Yes, a homecoming. That was my experience when I first joined SCN and also today at our board meeting. I feel “home” with these other women writers and do my best to return the favor to them. Our goal at Story Circle Network is to bolster women and help them find and nurture their unique voices. Empowered women add strength to the world, and that mission is something that makes me happy.

Thank you, Judy Alter, for posting the inspiring message below. I brazenly stole it!