Embarking on a New Anthology

What better way to pass the time than with a collection of short stories? We settle in with coffee or tea, sit back, and relax. Whether it is the intimate details of a writer’s life or her reflections set in beautiful prose, an anthology offers a colorful and intimate tapestry of voices and storytelling.

For the writer, an anthology means working with other writers to offer readers a book they can pick up, relish a story or two, and return to later.

Over the last several months, we thought…why not write and publish a new collection of short stories and poems? It seemed the time was right. An anthology might offer inspiration in challenging times, mingling with the community, and fostering connections. The theme is love. Love of family, lost love, love of nature, love of a landscape, love of each other and ourselves, love of a beloved animal.

We embark on a journey. A new Women’s Writing Circle anthology is in the works.

Over the years, I have participated in several anthologies. In one, I wrote about the loss of my husband, a soldier, a writer, a father, and my best friend. In another, I described our wedding dance as he held me close to “As Time Goes By.” In yet another, a first home in the suburbs of Philadelphia formed the centerpiece of new beginnings. I always come away from the experience of writing for an anthology having felt I contributed to a collective of voices. We shared stories that may touch the life of another.

These books often end up in the unlikeliest places…a kiosk of paperbacks in the local library, an assisted living community, a friend’s bookshelf, or even distant shores when we pack a suitcase and leave a copy of the book in our hotel.

When our Women’s Writing Circle published its first anthology, Slants of Light: Stories and Poems from the Women’s Writing Circle, we discovered the connections and community the project brought. We celebrated with roses and a write-up on Kirkus Reviews. In our second anthology, The Life Unexpected, partnered with another writing group, we coalesced a diverse collective of authors who shared a desire to see their work published and taken out into the public arena. (Unfortunately, that book is out of print.)

With our anthologies, we participated in open mics, signings, and talks at bookstores and libraries. We offered our books as gifts, sold them at church bazaars and author signings…, and sat down in cafes and living rooms with other writers and mulled the complicated and complex work that is writing.

We got to reflect on our lives and say, I am a published author.

Like all writing endeavors, collaboration is a creative grist. When we work with other writers who act as beta readers, gentle critics, and sisters in arms, we learn. We discover our writing style and appreciate the style of other writers. Most of all, we find the joy of writing.