Starry Starry Kite is Born

Because the infinite possibilities at the end of your string lead to a world of wonder.

“My sister’s a writer.” Beth told a handful of women who had been talking about their writing groups.  

She said it with confidence, tinted with the adoration of a younger sister for her elder. We were raised as twins, less than a year apart, but still she spoke with assurance, and earned me an invitation to a “real” writing group of published poets, novelists and essayists.

Privately, I had always considered myself a writer. I journaled my whole life and thought of it as writing. In the final leg of my working life, as an elementary school teacher, I fell in love with the whole process and looked forward to retirement when I could devote myself to the story of raising my son. I wrote my morning pages and scheduled two hours a day to write, but it was slow-going, hard to concentrate on my own. A million details competed for my attention. 

A writing group was just what I needed. Scheduled time to meet in the same location and write side-by-side. Parallel play with notebooks and computers. I have never been a loner. Put me on a team, or shoulder to shoulder with at least one other person, and I will tackle any task. I can move mountains as long as I am not working alone. Maybe it’s because my earliest memories include my sister by my side. 

The online journal was Beth’s idea. She called me one day energized and inspired after listening to a podcast about Glennon Doyle’s blogging success. “I want to tell the truth about living with cancer,” she said. “I don’t know the first thing about websites, you can help me with that, but I am going to write something every day and send it out into the world. It’ll be called Starry Starry Kite.” 

I’d been in all kinds of writing groups for years. Beth was a gifted writer. Her raw, first draft writing was beautiful, but I also knew the benefit of revision. I cautioned her to move slowly. “How about monthly? That way you can take your time and craft your message.”

We didn’t know then how little time she had.