The History of Momwriters

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Keys to the clubhouse - or The History of Momwriters
by Linda Sherwood

I did this a long time ago, but I can't find the post. I often talk about the history of Momwriters and I try to educate new members about the "inside joke" everyone has been talking about lately. Now I wasn't a member when MWs started and I may have some of my facts a bit off, but for the most part I think I'll get it right. If you read this, you'll know all about the history of MWs and most of the list-wide inside jokes and how they began. If anyone else wants to chime in and share the inside jokes they know about, please do. :)

A long time ago (what was it, 1998?) in a cyber world, mothers who write decided to gather in one place to discuss life, writing and families. They created a group called Momwriters and hosted it at Onelist. Other mothers heard about it on message boards and they came to. Soon there were just a hundred members or so, but they managed to post quite a bit. Someone else started the list (I don't know her name, but I think it started with a B. I'm sure someone will let us know who it was.) When she left, she turned the reins over to Nikki and Jerri. Jerri stepped down when her writing career took off. Nikki is the list owner, and despite her denials, the heart and soul of the list.

Many of those original members are still here. Some members that used to post a lot now mostly lurk. Others who used to lurk now post. Other members joined. Barefoot Karen, who lives with primates, is the webmistress of the Momwriters Web site. When I joined, she hosted the site on her Web site, www.offthewallemporium.com.

Even way back then Mama Kate was in charge of the contests. She'd had a lot of entries, but no one had voted on the winners and the deadline was looming. Kate needed to motivate the members to get to the polls and vote! Thus Vinny and Guido and "The Boss" were born. Along with them came the clubhouse. Suddenly everyone could see our virtual home and imagine the cyber clubhouse where we all hang out together with DSL and chocolate and laptop computers. For many, the virtual clubhouse was real.

Kate started naming names in her missives and the episodes made you wanting more. She would write the little stories taking bits and pieces from e-mail that members had sent to the list. Even today, Kate takes posts like one by Pam Kock commenting on her Indoor Jungle Web site and soon Mama Kate would be weaving Pam's info into the story along with Barb H. and her teens.

Chomi, the serious dreamer, began collecting "Words of Wisdom." She would carefully pan for gold in the river of posts sent to this list. People were amazed that they actually said the wonderful words Chomi would post. Chomi didn't make it up. She included the date and time the post was made so everyone could verify, "Wow, I really did say that!" It's a tradition that Sage carries on today. (It's one of my favorite parts of MWs and it was reading the Words of Wisdom on the site hosted by Karen that made me decide to join Momwriters.)

There were a lot of little things that happened that became little jokes among the members. Daughter's and piercing, little plastic beads and diaper changing, babies were born, articles were sold, manuscripts were written and published.... Wisdom was shared. Debates were debated. Flames and cyber hugs were passed, often on the same day. Impromptu lessons were taught.

Tigger declared herself the list mascot and made sure she bounced into everyone's e-mail box as she spread her cheer. Then Otterbe arrived and we built her and Tigger a pond to play in. Crysty began building onto the clubhouse to make room for new members as the list grew. People began gathering in their states with other MWs and the SF program began. Vinny and Guido continued to make their visits on behalf of The Boss and The Donna.

Lisa Beamer's contest winning entry to the annual Halloween/Fall contest made it into the next year's issue of Family Fun. Lain Ehman's essay about checking her e-mail too many times a day made it into Writer's Digest. Our own Nell Minow was writing her Movie Mom review for Child magazine (until they changed their format recently.) and suddenly all of us were reading the work of people we "knew" in magazines we've subscribed to and loved for years. We were walking into bookstores and seeing names of people we knew and talked to on the spines of the books.

The list continued to grow. Every year in May we celebrate the list's anniversary date by a month long celebration. Lots of fun activities happen during the month including the Golden Pen awards, a writing contest, and a secret friend exchange to name a few.

And then the MWSF started spreading cheer. She went nearly a year before her identity was revealed. She even had a helper a time or two. She loved purple and she'd send you an e-card or a nice word just when you needed it. She even wrote at einkwell under her masked name. :) Soon others followed her lead. SF's in disguise were joining the list and teasing everyone unmercifully. Last year people would check their e-mail to find messages like "Your e-card has been sent" even when they hadn't sent an e-card. Mysterious, fun things were in the air.

One member (me!) had patiently waited to get into a Vinny and Guido episode to no avail. And it was bouncy Tigger's birthday so I decided to throw a cyber party. Just like Kate's Vinny and Guido episodes, the "Breaking News" report was a fictionalized story that wove bits and pieces from posts into the story. Tigger flew across the 100 Acre Woods to the Clubhouse and got stuck in a tree. Very nice looking firefighters had to rescue her and the "stripped" tigger invited them to stay for the party.

A few more breaking news reports and Shelley in SWO began writing them with me. (She joined a long time after me, but she made it into a Vinny & Guido episode before me! and no, I'm not whining -- much.) Shelley of course, was just looking for a platform to campaign for the Golden Pen and decided to ride in on mine. (wink)

Then along came Mary Dixon Weidler with a fantastic soap opera, Four, Her Children. A long time member who had mostly lurked or was far too reserved to stand out without revealing she was a cat owner. It was her cat, that suggested she create the soap opera that had every MW begging for more. :) It was her campaign for a Golden Pen, and it worked. Making you laugh until you cried, her soap opera was aired on the MBN (Momwriters Broadcasting Network) and soon a second sitcom was airing as well -- The Inner Circle by Brette Sember. Again, another wonderful story that wove posts into an ongoing story (all for a GP).

Well, Mary recognized international reporting talent when she saw it. So she immediately hired Shelley and I to offer our news reports on the MBN. She pays in virtual chocolate so of course we took the position. Yummy chocolate with no calories.

So, it isn't an inner circle that you can't find your way into. It's just some friends with a shared history. You can join in and we'll welcome you. You can learn about the history by asking, or reading the Web site, which will clue you in on a lot. Before you realize it, you'll be inside the Virtual Clubhouse and snarfing down chocolate with the rest of us. Or taking a dip in the Otter pool to cool off on a hot summer (spring) day.

And if you are waiting patiently to get into the clubhouse, you can always do what Mary, Brette and I did...write yourself in. :) It's a wonderful writing exercise and is tons of fun! See you in the clubhouse!

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