Being a writer is hard, often lonely, work. To write seriously – meaning, to take writing beyond a hobby or the ‘unrequited dream’ stage – takes courage, discipline and sacrifice. The streets are littered with the rotting corpses of writers who have tried and failed to bring a manuscript to the public or to make a living on their writing. Literally. Okay, not literally.
But if you write, you probably wonder some days if you are one of those rotting corpses yourself, and whether you should find something else to do with all that “spare” time you’ve been carving out for writing. I have so been there. Some days I am still there. But when you love writing, you know that you can never really give it up. Writing is our response to the world: no less essential than the clothes we wear, the food we eat, the love we share.
The good news is that there are many communities – online and in-person – that can help writers find their voices, improve their craft, and stay sane through the support of their fellow writers.
I encourage writers to find an online or physical space that makes you feel at home. If your local community has any kind of writers’ clubs or classes, join them. Skill level and genre matter very little when it comes to finding a community of support and accountability.
What I Offer
In addition, I hope that you’ll join my developing writers’ community right here. The community is developing and so are the writers! The best place to start is the blog [insert link to Writing and Publishing category]. A few times a month, I blog about writing: humor, techniques, issues, opinions, marketing, social media and my own personal struggles with all of those things.
I encourage you to browse my writing and publishing blogs and to sign up for the email list to get periodic special updates. We are also in the process of forming writing accountability groups, which will take group support to the next level. These groups will be road tested and ready for new members soon. If you want to be notified when spots open up, please indicate that by clicking “Accountability Groups” when you join.
If you like my perspective and want my help with your own work, you can submit a manuscript for critique or sign up for writing coaching. Since I’m not only a lifelong writer, but a former professional counselor and executive coach, I can help you work past personal and emotional roadblocks to success, in addition to the nuts and bolts of storytelling and POV. I don’t do proofreading or line-editing, but I can recommend some folks for that, too.
See also:
