Our friends in “The Guild” are featured in a new article in The West Michigan Christian. It was great for me to read their story. (You’d think I’d have heard it by now with all the time I’ve spent with them…but I haven’t!) Plus, the fact that their story is now told aligns well with the 2012 Breathe Conference them (*hint, hint*). More on the conference later, here’s a teaser of the article:

Novelist and playwright Norman Mailer described writing as a “Spooky Art.” Writers are inherently introverted, yet when they dig into their underground psyche, their goal is to move, motivate or inspire the masses. From personal experiences come universal themes, and from private moments of life come scenes which expose their souls leaving them vulnerable to the world. For six West Michigan women, respectfully known by those in the writing world as The Guild, these emotional cross-currents have shaped the last six years of their friendships, and shaped their lives as they seek to use words to inspire others, and build God’s kingdom.

Almost eight years ago, independent writer Lorilee Craker, GR Press staffer Ann Byle, and aspiring novelist Tracy Groot got together to encourage and offer accountability to one another as they pursued their writing passions. Within 2 years, their informal gatherings grew by four, and The Guild was born. Today this group includes Cornerstone English professor Cynthia Beach, writing conference director Shelly Beach, and writer and mother Alison Hodgson, corporate writer Sharron Carrns, and missionary Angela Blycker. From their diverse backgrounds, these women meet regularly to encourage each other as they pursue the vocation and call God has planted deep in their hearts.

Read the whole article here

-Andrew for the Breathe Team

Andrew Rogers

Andrew Rogers writes fiction, non-fiction, and emails that are just a bit too long. He has worked in the book industry since 2007 in both publishing and retail and is currently a marketing manager at Zondervan. Andrew has been writing for about the same amount of time and is a member of a writers group called “The Weaklings.” He is also a member of the Breathe Writers Conference planning committee, and along with the other Weaklings, is a host of Jot: The GR Writers Mini-Conference. Andrew is married, a father, and lives in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area.