Join a Writing Group

Single Wide Female: The Bucket List, Book #12

By Lillianna Blake

ASIN: B00SUWJ9EI

Author’s Website: lilliannablake(.)com

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

Summary:

It’s good to know your limitations. I know I’ll never grace the front cover of a magazine, unless it’s a “most wanted,” type. Every time someone looks at my ID card, I hold my breath, waiting for their reaction. Ma Barker has nothing on me when I’m wearing my serious face.

So a career in front of the cameras is not for me. But I have a cunning plan – I’ll go learn how to be an author and maybe I’ll become a star that way. But hey, people in this class are way too serious; maybe if they lightened up a bit they’d get somewhere.

So that’s my mission this time around – learn how to write and teach these people how to enjoy themselves. I think I can do the first one, but the second one? I’ll need to call on the patron saint of lost causes, I think. (Goodreads)

Review:

Join a Writing Group begins with Sam in a writer’s slump ever since she has decided to become a writer. Figures, right!  On the bright side – she has the cleanest apartment ever. So when she decides to join a writing group to help spur her on in her goal of becoming a writer, this reader knows that some interesting events are going to materialize (as they always seem to ☺ ). While blogging about her upcoming writers group meeting, Sam published the name of the café where the meeting was to take place. This is unusual as normally no identifying information is given in her blog.  Hmmm… wonder if Blue will show up?

I chuckled numerous times throughout this story but the one that stood out was when Sam was researching what authors wore:

“Another listing described secret writer underpants that all authors wore. I knew that was a joke but it made me rethink my underwear choice. Did writers wear fancy underwear? Did they wear plain nondescript underwear? …Hello, my name is Samantha, will you please tell me what kind of underwear you are wearing?”

In true Sam fashion, at the first meeting that Sam attends of the writers group, she displays her klutziness for all to see. And then she gets the opportunity she was looking for – an audience to hear the beginning of her book. As to be expected, that did not go well. But in true Samantha fashion – she pulled up her bootstraps and persevered… and had a very interesting conversation with Estrella. 

I found from here that Sam seemed to have an epiphany which I could get behind:

“As I gazed into the mirror, I felt all the emotions I had carried for so long. This was where I felt the most vulnerable, in front of the mirror with no clothes to hide the size and shape of my body. But I didn’t want to feel that way about my body any more. I wanted to love it no matter what size it was.”

I felt this book was a real growing experience for Sam (and perhaps for myself – love me for who I am in this moment). I found the story contained both humor and a serious message which I enjoyed very much.