When I first sat down to blog here at AWH’s site tonight, I didn’t have a clue what to write about. I combed through old articles, blog posts from three and four years ago, and still came up with nothing.

Time is something I have learned to manage quite well, but sometimes, no matter how hard you try to manage that time, you still have to bite the bullet and write from scratch, lol.

As I began typing here, I started thinking of the people I’ve met over the past couple of years. There are people I’ve grown to respect and even love as friends. I also thought about the tiny handful who have made me quirk an eyebrow, mutter a few choice words, and wonder what entity possesses them, LMAO.

First, I want to tell all the AWH puppies that they’re great and that I adore them. For those of you who are new to this site, I teach at the AWH Workshop and we commune and talk over at AWH Chatters. The people who hang at both sites are amazing people.

I launched AWH on a whim. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought it would grow like it has. Sure, members have come and gone at the workshop, but 90% of the original members from the first year are still there learning and growing as writers. Those folks are writers devoted to growing in their craft, and I respect each one who strives to hone their work and continue to learn.

And like every group or forum, AWH has had its ups and downs, but you know what? The matters were handled, and, as a result, the groups have grown stronger. My love goes out to all of the AWH puppies and the mods!

AWH now has this blog site, it has an awesome newsletter for members, and a fantastic online magazine for both members and non-members (click the mag links on the right). I continue to get fan mail for the AWH books too. This has inspired me to put together a non-fiction book on writing that I hope will go to print one day.

We’re also having special guest and publisher days. We had author Jackie Kessler here last week, and we have the founder of Ellora’s Cave with us on February 24th, as well as the publishers of both LL-Publications/Logical Lust and Pink Petal Books scheduled for March with more coming in the future.

Moreover, I will be attending Lori Foster’s Get Together and will attend as not only an author and editor but the founder of AWH. The AWH puppies are helping to put raffle baskets together for the event too.

One day I would love to see AWH grow as big as RT with workshops, a nice ball, and lovely dinners.

Although I teach at AWH, this has been one big learning process for me as well. What matters, however, are those special people who post on their blogs about what they learned at AWH, or they send me an email that gets me choked up, or send me an e-card I wasn’t expecting to say a simple thank you, and even the occasional phone call that ends in, ‘Thank you for all that you do, Faith.’ which always makes me realize what beautiful people are out there.

I have great mods at AWH and I have great students.

You all rock!

Just like there wouldn’t be any books without writers, there wouldn’t be any AWH without writers who desire to learn.

No matter what the experience, it’s all about learning. Teachers teach, but they learn too.

To all out there who have been or still are a part of Avoid Writers Hell…thank you.