Preptober Step 5: Building Your Writing Community
Writing can be very lonely.
But it doesn’t have to be, and that’s what we’re talking about today: building a writing community that fits you.
During October, I’ve been sharing ways to get ready for NaNoWriMo. If you missed some posts, catch up here, here, here, and here.
In today’s blog, you’ll learn:
🔨 Why it’s important to build a community
🤝🏼 Where to find writing communities online and IRL
👩🏼💻 General guidelines when joining writing communities
2-Minute Story: I Went Decades Without a Writing Community
Writing can be a very isolating hobby or career.
As a freelance writer (and editor, too) before I found colleagues and writing friends, no one IRL could really relate.
But I’m fully to blame for feeling and being isolated.
Writing was a hobby I did in secret. My fiction writing was something I shared with one friend all throughout high school.
Most, if not all, of my college friends didn’t even know I loved writing—I played that part of myself close to the chest because writing is such a vulnerable thing.
I had no issue putting my fanfiction on the internet. Tumblr and Mibba were safe havens for me and my writing. They were the first two places where I made my first writing friends.
When I began freelancing in 2020, it was so lonely. Of course, I had mentors, but they were either through a pre-recorded online course or their social media posts.
It wasn’t until I built up enough courage (in 2021!) to message one of my favorite TikTok editors who later became a friend and colleague.
She introduced me to a Discord server with the most wonderful group of women editors. I finally had a community that understood the daily ups and downs of freelancing.
As for writing friends, I had the incredible author Nikki M. Griggs reach out on TikTok and declare we were going to be friends without so much as speaking to each other beforehand.
And, spoiler alert, we’re good writing friends now. She and a few other writers have created our own little Discord where we talk about writing without judgment.
All that to say—I understand sharing your writing is scary. But the world is full of wonderful like-minded people who will support you at every twist and turn of your writing career.
5 Reasons to Find a Writing Community
It’s essential to find a writing community as you embark on your writing journey, whether with or without doing NaNoWriMo. You get to choose the who and the size of that community. Find what fits your needs, genre, and personality.
1: You’re more likely to finish your book
Whether it has to do with accountability or not, joining a writing group can be the difference that allows you to finish your novel. It’s easier to write when you see others doing it too.
2: You’ll learn more about writing craft
Writers of all skill levels can be found within writing communities and that’s what makes them great. We learn from those who came before us and who’ve been in the querying or self-publishing trenches.
And let’s get one thing clear: other writers aren’t our competition; our only competition is with ourselves.
3: Find critique partners who will give honest, actionable feedback
Typically it’s best to bring in CPs after the first draft. The first draft is only for you where you can word vomit and tell yourself the story any way you see fit. Find writers who write in your genre or subgenre—they will be the ones most familiar with your genre conventions.
I talk more about the differences between critique partners and beta readers here.
4: Make authentic connections
Make friends! Writers are sensitive beings and you might be surprised just how much you’ll have in common with each other. Don’t be afraid to be you. Authentic connection is the spice of life.
5: Grow your network early
Like…way earlier than you think. While posting about yourself and your writing on social media can be terrifying, getting started on cultivating a community and a base to market to can only benefit you in the long run.
Tips for Being A Part of a Writing Community
Here are just some general guidelines and ‘rules’ when finding writing communities to join:
Be nice. Just promise me you’ll be nice. The writing and publishing industries while quite large are actually quite small. There are whisper networks and it’ll get around that you’re mean.
Be encouraging. Some writers are so new that they may not know the most basic things—that’s perfectly okay. Take a breath and remember how little you knew when you first started.
It’s okay not to know everything. Ask questions and learn from others.
Have fun and get involved in discussions, writing sprints, and more!
Writing Community Resources
If you’d like to connect with me, you can find me on TikTok and Instagram! I love meeting writers no matter where you are on this adventure.
Keep the pen moving,
- Kourtney
📚 Is your manuscript ready for developmental editing? Let’s see if we’re a good fit. 📚