We Are Family

When I think back to my early days around Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, about twenty years ago, I remember a sound: the thumpity-bump of dragging a cooler from my car across parking lots at various Metro Denver libraries as I brought refreshments and snacks for the monthly workshops. 

Arvada. Lakewood. Aurora. Denver. Wherever.

I had no idea what I was getting into. I was a bit intimidated. I was going to meet published writers who (gulp) knew stuff.  I had been writing for a long time and, in fact, had three good New York agents for three novels but had yet to find a publisher. 

It was my first volunteer role for RMFW and it was a great way to meet presenters, regular workshop attendees, and hang out around all these folks who cared about writing fiction as much as I did. 

Next, I was the guy booking these programs and introducing the presenters and setting up the locations. I suddenly felt very involved and plugged in.

And then I blinked and somehow I was president of RMFW and you know if I look back there’s a direct line correlation between my engagement with the group and increasing success with my writing, getting published, and all that good stuff.

Direct. Correlation.

Why?

Try not to be too shocked by this, but it was because I learned things. 

I know, hold the presses.

I learned things from the monthly workshops, from all the workshops I attended at Colorado Gold, and from hundreds of chats.  

The chats were invaluable and so were the introductions that resulted from, well, making friends.

In 2016, I was honored (beyond belief) to be named Writer of the Year and a couple nights ago I found myself standing at Bookies bookstore and heard my name again.

Sheesh.

Well, I said on Sunday night that RMFW is my family and I made the point that you get way more back from RMFW than the amount you put in—and it’s true. I’m not the only one who has said that, so it’s a known fact at this point.

And then it occurred to me that I didn’t know where the word family comes from. So I looked it up. 

Sure, we get an image of parents raising their kids or a group of related things. But in late Middle English, the noun denoted the servants of a household. Yeah, servants. 

In RMFW, we serve each other. We are there to help each other. That clicked with me—right back to my days with the cooler of refreshments.

We are family.

Here’s to RMFW on its 40^th anniversary. And hearty congratulations to fellow WOTY finalists David Slayton and L.R. Braden.

Thank you all.

++

Photo by Kelli Tungay on Unsplash

Mark Stevens