I missed one week's top tip as I was away visiting my writing buddy, Rosemary J Kind. We met online years ago and get together whenever we can – that's slightly easier since she moved and is now only a 5 hour drive away!
Our friendship started as a comment now and again on each other's posts in a writers' forum and we've been helping and encouraging each other in a variety of ways ever since.
I'm really lucky to have many other writing friends – almost all of whom I initially met online. My writing, and life in general, is better for knowing them. With that in mind, this week's tip is to make contact with other writers in any way you can.
Some ways to include connecting with other writers are -
Comment on their posts on social media (btw, I'm trying out BlueSky I'm on there as myself and we're there as @Womagwriter )
Make your own social media posts about your writing
Attend events such as book fairs (I'll be at on this Sunday 17th Nov at Aspex, Gunwharf, Portsmouth. It's free entry – please do come and say hello if you're in the area.)
Comment on their blog (warning – watch out for ones with campervans, they might pop round for a cup of tea.)
Join a physical writing group
Join a virtual writing group
Attend workshops and courses
Attend author talks, book signings, launches etc
If you have more suggestions, please say so in the comments!
If you know of any writing groups (physical or virtual) which are currently accepting members, please put details in the comments - and do share any other methods you've used to make contact with writers.
This tip came from Patsy Collins who has written two books for writers. A Year of Ideas:365 sets of writing prompts and exercises, and From Story Idea to Writer, co-authored with Rosemary J. Kind.
Yes, that's the two of us. Yes, it does look quite a lot as though we're in a bar. In our defence, it was closer than the cake shop.
14 comments:
So true, Patsy. I consider you one of my virtual writing friends! Alyson
Great advice Patsy, I rely on this group & TPF Tues morning X chat as I live way out in the country & though lots of my friends are readers they are not writers. This online community is my main link with writer friends with whom I can share the highs and lows of the writers life & most importantly it keeps me writing!
That is the best thing you can do! So many friends have been made through the IWSG.
I don't have any friends in real life who write fiction, so find this blog invaluable, as everyone understands the challenges, the peaks and troughs, and there is a spirit of encouragement. I count all those who turn up regularly here as online writing friends (I hope they don't mind), and am very glad of them. Like Sheelagh, I have also joined The People's Friend X hour (11 until 12 every Tuesday morning) and feel like I've made friends there, too - there is nothing to say that you have to have had a story published with the Friend in order to participate and, as with this blog, there is a shared understanding of the trials and tribulations as well as the joy of writing.
I wish I had £1 for every time you mention cake, Patsy! I am in a small writing group, ex-U3A - we went independent, but will have to leave shortly when I move. Your recommendations here are well worth looking in to. I, too, feel I 'know' the contributors of this blog. A whole lot of support on here.
I’m not in a physical writing group and I really value this blog and the TPF writing hour. Both of them really gave me the confidence to keep going. I definitely consider everyone in both of them my writing friends.
I know a lot of writers in real life. When I moved to Australia, I got a job in publishing, and as a result almost all my friends are either writers or editors. The upside of this is obvious. The downside is that we can all get very caught up in the negative things that are happening in our industry, so the mood when we get together can sometimes be depressing and uninspiring. Unavoidable when people are constantly affected by lay-offs, cutbacks, falling out of contract etc.
Because I'm constantly in contact with writer and editor friends, I'm not in a writing group and I rarely attend author talks or writing festivals. Between a part-time editing job, writing my own stuff, and generally hanging out with editors and writers, I like to do other stuff in my downtime.
I do appreciate this blog, though, and the people who contribute to it. It's great to be able to communicate with a group of writers who mainly write for womag, which is such a specific part of the publishing industry.
Liz
I'm not in a writing group. I think of the contributors to this blog as my writing family.
HB
Like Eirin none of my friends are writers, although they all take an interest and are happy for me if I get something published. I think they do sometimes find it a bit baffling that I spend so many afternoons at my computer bashing out my stories. So it's great to 'meet' people on here who 'get it' and I always look forward to the regular weekly contact. Thanks Patsy and all of you for being around.
I have a number of writing buddies: all of you on the blog, writers from a previous writing evening course, and writers from an ongoing writing evening class. I also love literary festivals. I always go to the Fishbourne Literary Festival, organised by friends of mine, and this year I have a special treat coming, as we're going to the Hay-on-Wye mini festival at the end of the month.
I am a member of West Sussex Writers Club. It is the oldest writers club in the UK and encourages and welcomes writers of all ages and abilities.
We meet on every second Thursday evening from 7.30 to 9.30 in Goring with kind and approachable guest speakers and home made cakes (thank you Rose) with coffee. We have a regular newsletter for those who are too far away or who can only come occasionally and a very enthusiastic and kind committee. If you want to 'try before you buy' - guests are welcome for £5 on the night. Check out the club and its facebook page for more info. I really recommend it.
Westsussexwriters.co.uk
Kind regards to you all, Sue
@ Alyson – Thank you. I feel the same way.
@ Sheelagh – We're so fortunate to have the internet to connect with other writers. I'd know very few writers without it.
@ Alex – IWSG is great because anyone getting involves instantly has things in common with everyone else.
@ Eirin – Only another writer truly understands!
I keep missing the TPF Twitter chats, but agree with you and Sheelagh they're a good way to connect with other writers. I don't think you even need to have subbed to TPF to get involved.
@ Marguerite – I wish I had a £1 for each time I mention cake too - then I could buy more cake!
@ Marian – Knowing that what we go through is normal can be really encouraging, can't it? Unless we hear different we might believe that everyone else finds it all easy and has most of their work accepted as soon as they send it out.
@ Liz - Great as writing friends are, I can see it might be possible to have too much of a good thing. Balance is important (and cake, obviously!)
@ HB - I love the fact that people who comment on this blog are so supportive of each other, and in return benefit from everyone else's contribution.
@ Sue - Unless you're a writer it must be hard to understand why we do it. Actually, it can sometimes be slightly baffling for writers too!
@ Maisie – I've been to a few literary festivals and similar events, but not recently. I should put that right as they're always worthwhile.
@ Sue - Thank you for that. You're making me wish I lived a bit further along the coast!
Thanks so much to everyone for your comments here, and on other posts. They add so much to this blog and mean a lot to me personally - and I consider you all friends.
Patsy - you are certainly a huge friend to all of your grateful followers and blog readers, thank you! xx Sue
As others have said, meeting other writers on this blog is a real boon to me. It's like meeting up with friends when I check in, as Anonymous says above - 'You are a true friend to al of your grateful followers and blog readers, thank you. Good wishes to all. Kate Hogan'
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