You’re sitting at the bar, on cocktail number it’s-no one’s-business, and you’re swapping island war stories with the handful of others on the stools beside you. Some tourist or island newbie in the mix has got everyone inspired to bust them out – the ridiculous, the frustrating, the unbelievable, and most always, the downright hilarious. These are some of my favorite times – shooting the shit with fellow islanders, laughing our asses off, and celebrating the humor of this crazy life we’ve chosen for ourselves through collectively observing its inherent quirk. Communing with those who have been there, done that is a major happiness booster and often times, cathartic even. It’s moments like these that inspired me to start Women Who Live on Rocks in the first place. And over these last couple of years, this clan of island people – past, present, and aspiring – connecting here over the rock lifestyle has turned out to be just as much fun (if not more!) as one of those impromptu storytelling sessions at the bar.

Whether you’ve lived on a rock for 10 days or 10 years, you no doubt have your share of tropical tales to tell. You know the ones – those tried and true island life anecdotes you regale friends, family, and other visitors with whenever they ask you what it’s really like to “live in paradise“. Those are exactly the ones we’re looking for! We’d love to have you (yes, YOU!) write with us and join in on the fun. Here’s how…

– WHO IS ELIGIBLE –

Women (sorry, boys) of all ages and backgrounds are welcome. We love to have a variety of perspectives on this site – in fact, fresh perspectives are exactly what we’re looking for. What would you like to talk about that we haven’t covered yet? What other aspects of island life do you and your uniqueness have to share? The only catch is that you must currently reside on a tropical island (it isn’t Women Who Used To Live on Rocks, after all). It doesn’t have to be a Caribbean island either (though that’s where most of our writers are currently dispatching from). Any coconut-laden isle will do, especially ones we haven’t heard from yet – Hawaii, the South Pacific, you name it, we want to hear from you!

– WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU –

One of my favorite writerly quotes is one by Flannery O’Connor – “I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.” I have certainly found that to be true writing about my island life on this site. Not only has it helped me to crystallize some thoughts and feelings I didn’t fully realize I had, it often leads me to new insights and appreciation for the beauty and humor that surrounds me. Island life can be frustrating – writing about it with a focus on the funny aspects naturally makes you a happier, more easy going person in the grand scheme of things. If you look at a bad day full of island debacles as writing fodder, it makes it feel much less punishing!

If you’re a writer yourself, contributing here is a great way to gain more exposure for your writing. Between social media and those who subscribe to our site, you have thousands of new readers at your fingertips. If you have your own website/blog, I’m also more than happy to link it in your bio and on the main site for people to access.

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Lastly, this is a great opportunity to take the time to put down your island stories for posterity’s sake. You never know how much longer you’ll live on a rock. Capture the memories before you forget them – you’ll thank yourself later, if anything, at the retirement home when you always have a crowd pleaser at your disposal that will save you and your fellow old timers from listening to another one of Gertrude’s jam-making snoozers.

– WHAT YOU COULD WRITE ABOUT –

 The possibilities are endless – island life is teeming with comedy. Sometimes it’s the smallest interactions that make for entertaining anecdotes. Sometimes the humor is visual – photo posts like this one are always fun. I’m open to all kinds of creativity and an island spin on anything from how-to articles, lists, rants, poems/songs… whatever inspires you!

– HOW TO GET STARTED –

It’s simple – just write yourself a short bio (you can see examples on the “Meet the Women” page) and email it to me at chrissann@womenwholiveonrocks.com along with a picture you’d like to accompany it. I’ll get you hooked into the site so you can write whenever the island muse strikes you.

– OTHER NOTES –

There’s no big commitment to worry about getting sucked into – our writers contribute as much or as little as their schedules allow. There’s no pressure, it’s all for fun, and done at your leisure.

There’s no need to stress yourself out over the actual writing either. As the site’s editor, I’m here to help you in any way that I can to make sure you are proud of your posts once they’re published. Feel free to bounce ideas off of me and seek me out if you need inspiration or thoughts on how to flesh out a story.

If you are concerned about your privacy, you are more than welcome to write under a pseudonym (several of our writers do – see Dillinger, Baldrick, Ginger, and Iris Tramm). We also have a disclaimer on our site that if you feel the need to protect the privacy of individuals/places, you can change any names you like.

–   –   –

So what are you waiting for, island girls? Join in on the fun – making people laugh is one of the greatest gifts available to us. And please do share this with any of your fellow island women out there who may not have heard of us yet – the more the merrier!

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Written By:

Current Rock of Residence:

Virgin Gorda, BVI

Island Girl Since:

2006

Originally Hails From:

California

Chrissann’s home rock in the British Virgin Islands feels bigger to her than it actually is. Though after spending five years on a teensy one acre island, the current 13-mile long rock she’s residing on now IS ginormous, at least by comparison. As with everything in the tropics, it’s all about perspective.

Once upon a time she used to care about things like matching her purse to her pumps but these days, any activities that require a bra and shoes go under careful, is-this-even-worth-it consideration. If island life has taught her anything at all, it’s that few things are more rewarding than time spent in the pool with a cocktail in hand.

As the Editor in Chief of this site, she spends her days working from home with her blue-eyed sidekick, Island Dog Diego, writing, editing, and cultivating content in the hopes of bringing some laughter and lightness to her fellow island souls. She recently published her first children’s book, When You’re a Baby Who Lives on a Rock, and is pretty pumped to share it with all of the island mamas out there. Her days off are typically spent boating, hiking, and meeting up with the neighborhood’s imperious roadside goats, who she shamelessly bribes into friendship. While normalcy was never listed as one of her special skills, Caribbean life may indeed be responsible for new levels of madness. She attributes at least a smidge of her insanity to the amount of time she spends talking to drunk people.

If you’re somehow still reading this and feel inclined to find out more about this “Chrissann” of which we speak, you can also take a gander at her eponymous website or follow her daily escapades on Instagram @womanonarock.

Want to read more posts by this writer? Click here.

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