I’ve been exploring the
business side of writing the first Wednesday of each month. Today, I decided to
address the topic of engaging with others in the writing community. Engaging
with others has been an extremely powerful piece of my writing experience. The
community includes but is not limited to other writers, editors, publishers,
and agents.
Thank you Google Images! |
I’ve had editors of periodicals give me tips on submitting
articles for freelance publication. I’ve learned more about writing by working
with an honest critique group than I ever could have by taking a creative
writing course. And the woman who edited Breathing on Her Own? Working
with Bethany Kaczmarek was like having my own personal trainer. She pushed me
to produce my best work and build my writing muscle.
One of the most powerful ways to engage with other writers is to
participate in a writing group. When I first took on the challenge to become a
published author, I looked for a writing group in my area. There are a few. Two
fit in with my work schedule. The first one I visited was…uh..different. I
didn’t feel I fit in with the “candle glow” activity and the “sharing rock.”
The beaded curtain between the entrance and the “gathering room of creativity”
should have been my first clue. I next contacted a group meeting on the
university campus. The folks there were nice enough and they were all about
writing. Writing fantasy. It isn’t that I have anything against fantasy. It
simply isn’t a genre I read or know much about.
The answer? I started a group in my home. I gathered a few other
people who liked to write and wanted to improve. We met and though the group
was relatively small—we eventually maxed out at six—it was a powerful team of
writers. We worked hard and a few of us published work emerging from that group
setting.
When I moved to another
state, I discovered online critique groups and Facebook based writing groups. I
still participate in some of those groups. I’m part of 10 Minute Novelists on
Facebook as well as groups formed through ACFW (American Christian Fiction
Writers). Through them I have met editors and writers from a variety of genres.
I’ve found support, forums where I can pose questions, and online chats
covering a wide variety of subjects. In one of the groups, I’ve been able to
connect with beta readers and have reviewed works of others in the group.
How are you connecting with
other writers? What benefits have you found through those relationships?
And if you’re new to the
business of writing, what plan will you make to engage with others in the
writing business?
NOTE: Portions of this post were taken from The Writing
Handbook series (working title).
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