Four Steps to Refresh Your Writing Practice, Part 1
March, where I live in northern New England, is a time of slump. Spring should be here already—right?! We get hints of better weather, we are teased, then there’s another huge snowfall. I do treasure winter here in the Northern Hemisphere for its ability to encourage my writing practice. But if you’re in a dreary slump this week, here’s some refreshment. I’ll be sharing my best tips for boosting your writing practice in four areas:
Find and build a writing community for support
Revisit your practice space and method
Refresh your writing practice
Set up accountability that works for you
This week is all about community, why it’s vital to writers (especially book writers), and how you can get yourself one.
Writers need more than solitude
Artists of any kind need other artists. Yes, we write alone, but eventually we need to get out of isolation and get support.
Writing a book--writing anything--is by necessity a solitary practice. We are by ourselves with our words at first, generating them in a conversation between laptop and hands on keyboard, or pen and notepad. It’s not a bad thing. I actually love the process of being in the worlds of my books, and I crave the solitude to immerse myself.
But only to a point. Then it helps A LOT to have community.
Community is powerful—we’ve seen that, we know it. In artistic practices, community gives feedback, encouragement, a reality check when you need it, and ongoing support.
Support is why I absolutely need to have other writers in my life. They give . . .
Support to keep writing.
Support when those doubts hit hard.
Support when I’m trying something new and scary, and I want to run an idea by a fellow writer.
Support to know I’m not crazy.
Where do you find writing communities?
If you’ve been writing any length of time, you probably have begun to build yourself a community, whether you know it or not.
You’ve attended readings and book release parties.
You’ve taken classes online or in person
You’ve gotten together with other writers
You’ve joined a book club
You’ve been to a writing conference
Online or in person, these are the seeds of your writing communities.
How to build one
It takes a little courage, a little venturing forth, to get started. First, you look for other writers whose feedback and ideas you appreciate, who are (hopefully) working at the same stage in their writing career or experience as you.
I found my writing group through a student in one of my classes who was smart and skilled, and I asked her about her group since mine was ending. I joined with three others who were also published and we’ve been together, in some form or another, for quite a few years. They’ve read my book manuscripts and my stories, given excellent feedback.
When one of the group members got a nibble from an agent, we cheered her on. When another sold an essay, we did the same.
Another writer, who was not part of a group, seemed so sympatico in a class we both attended online, that I asked her if she’d like to exchange manuscripts. She became my writing partner, and she has been a steady cheerleader with (again) excellent feedback over the years.
I nurture these relationships and show up to support my writing community as I can, by giving the kind of feedback I’d want, by encouraging and being there for them.
But what if you live far from any writers groups, and you don’t want to take classes to meet other writers? You can build a community by hiring a coach or private teacher, of course, but there are also free or low-cost community you can use and rely on, as you create your book.
Virtual communities
Reedsy has a good list of fourteen of what they consider the best writing communities, and you can check it out here.
Here’s another good (and very updated) list from writers.com.
One virtual community, Write Together, was recommended in Jane Friedman’s e-newsletter. Jane’s such a good resource, I immediately checked it out. It costs, but very little, and it’s still small, which is a relief to some of us. More intimate, more like a real writer’s group. Write Together provides accountability--every day writing and check in’s by midnight--and that community to share progress or lack of.
Another online writing community is Scribophile, an international group that’s growing fast. Scribophile has a credit system, where the more feedback you give other writers in the group, the more points you earn towards getting feedback yourself. It’s primarily, in my opinion, for feedback, less for sharing progress notes and accountability.
Compare with an older list from NY Book Editors on the ten best online writing communities to join and why.
Your weekly writing exercise
Just for fun this week, check out one of the links above and research the kinds of writing communities out there. Even if you are settled with yours. It’s always interesting to reach out to new writers.
Share your thoughts about what you find. Or let us know about your own writing community, and what you love about it.