Giving your time to help others succeed

Photo credit: Time by Alan Cleaver via Flickr

Time is one of the most important and precious things you can give.

This past weekend, my superstar husband gave me an entire day to research agents, polish my query, and give my submission pages one last glance.

I was so overwhelmed! It was incredibly generous of him (we have three kids, two cats, and a dog!) and worthy of acknowledgement.

Has someone done something similar for you?

Many people gave their time to help me hone my work in progress. When I first started sharing my book, more than a few people gave me great suggestions. They took the time to teach me what they knew. I listened. I read the craft books they recommended and I learned. I'm so very thankful to each of them.

My current critique partners are super awesome! (Amelia, Cheryl, Henry, LaWanda, Marlana, Michelle, and Rina!! *hugs*) Every week, they schedule time to review my submission when they could be revising their own. Their advice is invaluable. My writing is better because they take the time to make thoughtful comments and catch the mistakes my eyes/brain couldn't find.

In return, I give them my best. When one of us is in a crunch and needs some extra eyes on our work, we help each other out. It's greatness. And it wouldn't be possible if we didn't give our time.

Are you part of a critique group? How can you share your time to impact someone's writing journey? Have people in your life been generous with their time to help you succeed? Give them a shout out! :)