What’s your experience been with writer communities and workshops, whether real-life or online?
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Wednesday, Karen Dionne of Backspace will be here. I had a hunch Karen was well-loved by more than me so I went behind her back with my two super-sleuths, Lauren Baratz-Logsted and Carolyn Burns Bass, to see if any members of Backspace wanted to share their opinions of Karen.
They did….
Jessica Keener: “Karen Dionne has transformed the way I experience my writing life on a daily basis. With the creation of Backspace, along with Chris Graham, she has attracted an impressive roster of writers and literary professionals in a short time span, bringing together writers of immensely different backgrounds, levels of experience, and genres. It works because Karen treats everyone fairly, with intelligence, grace and extraordinary generosity. It’s an exceptional forum. I’ve seen nothing that compares to it. And I’ve gained a friend in the process.”
Lauren Baratz-Logsted: “When people ask me what to do to improve their chances of getting published or their existing careers, the first thing I tell them is to join Backspace. There is no better site that I know of for writers to come together and inform, celebrate and commiserate over all things writing. Three cheers for Karen for creating it!”
Cornelia Read: “Karen Dionne has not only created one of the most amazingly supportive and useful writers’ communities EVER, she is also a tremendously talented author and downright boon companion. It is both a pleasure and an honor to know her.”
Heather Brewer: “Karen Dionne is a true gift to the writing community. Through her selfless effort in creating the Backspace Organization, writers have access to inside information about how the publishing industry works and countless answers to the questions that are brewing in their skulls. To top it all off, she’s written a book that sounds incredible. Let’s face it, the woman is a god.”
Joanne Levy: “Karen Dionne is to writers what Nurses are to patients – nuturing, caring and willing to work tirelessly to do everything she can to help, and then some. I’ve had the pleasure of ‘knowing’ Karen viturally through the Backspace Forums and am thankful for her hard work and generous soul.”
Kristin Nelson: “Karen Dionne is a force to be reckoned with in the publishing industry. Several years ago, she took an idea (the idea of a private writers’ forum where published authors could feel comfortable sharing their knowledge without fear of internet trolls) and turned it into a reality. And then she went a step further, she created the definitive website for writers…a site full of great educational tips, articles, writer resources etc.
“That’s the professional Karen. The personal Karen has a huge heart. Despite being on her own journey to get published, she set aside time to inspire and mentor other writers on their journeys. To me, that makes her not only a great author but a great human being…and there is no higher compliment than that. I’m honored to call her a friend.”
Steve Hendlin: “I’ve known Karen over five years and witnessed her unfailing generosity in helping writers at all levels with her good cheer, information, and support. She refused to give up on her own writing, and her dogged persistence paid off in selling Freezing Point. My desire to support her and Backspace led to my decision to contribute Your Write Mind to the site.”
Lori F. Weinrott: “Karen’s manifold talents remind me of the story of the five Chinese brothers; she’s always got another angle on something. Come to think of it, maybe she’s one of the Dionne quintuplets, and there’s really five of her. How else to explain? I’ve never met anyone so thorough and accomplished. She even manages to do it all with such care and kindness. She’s a blessing in disguise!”
Lynn Sinclair: “There’s no doubt in my mind that Karen is the result of the first successfully cloned human. Either that or she has ten arms and five heads. Not only did she co-create Backspace, she continues to maintain the popular website; co-ordinates the conferences; her book, Freezing Point, is soon to be released; continues writing, and takes care of a busy family and business. The woman is a wonder, and one I’m proud to call a friend.”
Terri Molina: “Karen is like that favorite aunt you had as a child – loving, supportive, encouraging. She makes you believe you’ll be a published writer and you can’t help but want to make her proud.”
Ian Barker (IanB): “I first came across Karen several years ago on another writers’ site. She was always a voice of calm and reason in the sometimes crazy world of Internet message boards, so when I heard she was forming Backspace I knew it would be a serious project and that I had to be a member.”
Sandra Kring: “Altruistic, humble, and exceedingly supportive, Karen Dionne is the figurehead of Backspace.org, leading aspiring writers, and established authors alike, through the choppy waters of the publishing world.”
Marlys Pearson: “We writers of Backspace might occasionally find the Muse elusive, but we always know where to find our Grace. Whether it’s her own writing career, the creation of an ambitious web site for writers, or dealing with a creepy internet stalker, Karen Dionne handles the situation with common sense, good humor, and aplomb. If what goes around, comes around, then Karen’s book is going to be a runaway best seller – and that will just be an advance payment on the good things she’s due. I can’t wait to see what happens next.”
Tish Cohen: “Karen is the den mother I never had. She cheers for her cubs’ successes, separates them when they gnaw on each other, and never makes them feel crummy for being computer illiterate – as cubs are wont to be. And she’s a soon-to-be-published author in her spare time. She’s incredible.”
Martha O’Connor: “Karen Dionne is one of the most giving, caring, creative people I know. I’m so pleased to see her finally receiving the recognition she deserves. Huzzah, Karen!”
Carolyn Burns Bass: “Karen was one of my first real online friends. We met at a crazy, noisy, sometimes troll-infested writing group, where she was one of the sane voices who didn’t attack you for asking newbie publishing questions. What made Karen stand out was her transparency. She never wore an online mask, nor attempted to be something she wasn’t. She had every hope to be a published author, worked tirelessly on her own projects, yet always had time to help others. Backspace is the result of her passion to foster the growth of others. She and co-founder Chris Graham have created a community of writers that circles the world with the purpose of writers helping writers. When Karen announced the sale of FREEZING POINT I rejoiced for days. I’m still rejoicing.”
Rebecca del Rio: “Karen Dionne is a treasure; she’s the perfect embodiment of Backspace’s slogan, ’Writers helping writers.’ ”
Melanie Lynne Hauser: “Karen Dionne is one of those people you just know is going to succeed in this business. Not only is she a terrific writer but she’s the hardest working writer I know – and the most positive one, too. I just know she’s going to have a long, successful career – and there’s nobody who deserves it more than she does!”
A.S. King: “Karen Dionne is one of those people who just automatically does good things. Her positive outlook, generosity, and modesty have been an example to hundreds of writers. The best part is – she would never admit to this!!”
Mark Bastable: “Karen founded Backspace because she’s a serious writer and she could see the need for a resource that supported people like her. The time that she spends running Backspace is time that she might otherwise spend writing. In other words, she sacrifices her own writing in order to enable ours. That tells you just about all you need to know about Karen.”
Harry Hunsicker: “What’s the term for a kind, gentle, deserving, gifted writer? Oh, yeah . . . Karen Dionne.”
Kelly, aka Keara, Backspace member: “Karen Dionne works harder at achieving dreams than anyone else I know, and for every moment she devotes to her dreams, she spends an hour helping others pursue theirs.”
Ty Drago: “From the day she invited me to join Backspace, Karen has been the unshakable backbone of this forum. Her unwavering fairness and unflagging commitment has never failed to impress me. There simply would BE no Backspace without her. Karen is truly a devoted writer’s advocate and an absolutely amazing person!”
Kristy Kiernan: “Karen Dionne’s unflagging commitment to the writing community is a constant source of inspiration, and if they ever work out those pesky kinks in cloning she’ll be one of the first people on my list.”
Renee Rosen: “Karen’s generous spirit prevails throughout the entire Backspace site. She has pulled together a wonderful group of writers and publishing professionals, giving us all an invaluable oasis of literary support!”
Katie Alender: “In my experience with Karen, she’s just about the most thoughtful and helpful person on the planet. How she manages not only to maintain this site, stay active on it, AND write, all without turning into the savage beast most writers are known for being, is beyond me. But I’m glad she does. I love being a part of Backspace.”
Rozinante from Backspace: “With the patience of a master seamstress, Karen Dionne has stitched together a vibrant community of thinkers and wordsmiths. Backspace is a breathing thesaurus, a personal research service, a marketplace of ideas, a WWF smackdown and a MaryTylerMooreShow group hug. Karen had an artist’s vision and poured into it the elbow grease of a craftsman. We are the ones reaping the rewards. Brava!”
Carrie Kabak: “One hell of a businesswoman! Hardworking, and efficient to the max. I applaud Karen’s tenacity, success and generosity.”
EJ Knapp: “Writers tend to be isolative and egoistic. Put a dozen or more in a room together and half will seclude themselves while the other half will scream at each other. Karen Dionne, with a grace and aplomb far exceeding anything I could imagine mustering, has gathered together a hundred times that number of writers in a multi-roomed virtual world known as Backspace and not have the place go nuclear. Karen is a sharp tactician, an excellent negotiator, a superb writer, a gentle teacher and a good friend.”
Tasha Alexander: “You’d be hard pressed to find a writer more generous than Karen. She’s talented, energetic, and tireless – I’m amazed by all that she’s accomplished.”
Rachel Elizabeth Cole: “Karen is my inspiration, my hero. She’s proved time and again that if you want something badly enough – be it a book deal or the best darn writing site on the world wide web – you can do it. I can’t say enough how much I admire, respect and really love her. She’s like my mom, my best friend and my sister all rolled into one. And she’s a darn good writer too.”
Marcus Sakey: “Backspace is a family of writers, and like any family, it centers around the mother. Without Karen, god love her, a bunch of us would be orphans.”
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