This week’s blog is a guest post from Kailey Brennan, a creative writer from Plymouth, MA. She is the creator of Write or Die Tribe, an online community for writers of any genre or any background. She is currently working on a collection of personal essays. You can find Kailey on Instagram and Twitter.
Writing can be a lonely endeavor. Just you and the keyboard, the clicking of the keys and the buzzing of your own, inward thoughts. While the solitude might be critical for some to get any work done, there is always a kind of desire to share your work, to talk things out, to know that a listener understands what you are trying to say.
This is why writing communities exist. Book clubs, online forums, Facebook groups, classes, workshops and retreats, all center around the same thing: like-minded people coming together to learn and connect with one another. Here are 5 ways showcasing the importance of writing communities and why you should join one today:
Overcome fear
It can be really scary to put your work “out there.” Whether submitting to publications, reading at an open mic night or sharing your piece with friends, the vulnerability can be crippling, causing you to hoard your work to the safety of your password protected laptop. Since other writers know this fear so well, connecting with them can take the edge off. Most groups create an atmosphere of safety that will help you overcome your fear of sharing our work and encourage you to pursue your craft further.
Connections
Forming friendships and bonds with like-minded artists has been essential for me. I thrive off their creative energy and am inspired by what they are doing in their writing practice. Human beings crave connection and what better way to connect than over something you are passionate about. Being part of a writing community can make these friendships easier to come by and maintain.
Accountability
If you are anything like me, you watch your self made deadlines pass by you on a monthly basis. While self motivation is key for any artist, having someone else hold you accountable for your work can push you through the procrastination. Writing communities offer gentle reminders, holding you accountable to your deadlines while maintaining a doable writing schedule.
Feedback / constructive criticism
I believe feedback and criticism are so essential to writers of any skill level. We need to know if what we are trying to convey, which makes sense in our own heads, is translating to our readers. While it might be difficult for some to see their work picked apart, covered in red ink, it will only help you grow as a writer and help you develop a thicker skin. In my opinion, the best type of feedback and constructive criticism comes from other writers.
People who know the craft, who struggle with the same issue as you do. They have sharper eyes for plot holes, misconstructed sentences or inconsistencies than the average person. Connecting with a writing community can provide consistent and articulate feedback so that you don’t have to spend time actively seeking out readers whenever you finish a project or need help.
Growth
A writing community is one of the best places to explore new genres, characters, styles, tones, perspectives, processes, and techniques. It’s a place to brainstorm ideas and engage in thought-provoking discussions. You can give and receive some great writing advice, developing the mind of a critic while fostering other writer’s work. You might even read something that will inspire you to write some of your best pieces. Writers need writers. It’s as simple as that. The more time you spend with people who are interested in something you are, the more pieces of them you will pick up along the way. The more you will grow.
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Want to join a community, but don’t want to leave your house? Write or Die Tribe is a space for writers to share their work with one another, ask for feedback and connect with other writers. With a subscription, you will have access to our writer’s forum to meet and share with other writers. You also have access to our dashboard which contains a job board for writing-related opportunities, writing prompts, and publication lists. In addition, we send out a monthly resource newsletter with recommended reading, author interviews, discounts on online writing classes and more!
Each month, we have a special writing theme, which affects the prompts, Instagram content and questions asked to the published authors interviewed.
Write or Die Tribe offers a 30 day free trial to make sure this is the community for you!
The #WritingCommunity on Twitter is brilliant. But a huge distraction!
You’re right, the #writingcommunity is the best thing about Twitter!