If you have friends who are fellow writers, you should suggest to them that you meet regularly to discuss the craft. You can meet weekly, biweekly, monthly. You can meet in coffee shops, at bars, in parks. Some meetings, members can bring texts to be read and discussed. Other weeks, if no one has anything to share, you can meet to discuss what you’re writing and reading.
But maybe none of your friends are writers. That’s okay! If you’re not living in a small town, there are likely public groups you can join. Some may be more specialized than others, and you’ll want to join the right group for you. For example, I’m a part of a public group specifically dedicated to the study of science fiction, fantasy, and horror.
And if you don’t live in a city with any public writing groups? Find one that meets digitally! No matter what the case, you can find people who are interested in the same sort of stories as you.
Putting yourself out there and meeting new people is hard. This is especially true when it relates to your creative work. And yet, the reasons to meet with likeminded writers are multitudinous. In this article, I will cover the three I find most compelling.
1. Learn about your story
If you’ve been working on the same manuscript for an extended period of time, you may be too close to the material. Taking space from the text can help with this. Taika Waititi, for example, takes two or three years between his first and second drafts. However, you will never be able to replicate the experience of someone who has never seen your story before. But if you have someone read your story, they can tell you about their experience in reading it. From that, you will glean all sorts of knowledge about your manuscript that you could never find on your own.
This is true on a micro level (confusing passages, unclear POV, clunky prose) and on a macro level (plot holes, unnecessary sequences, losing suspension of disbelief). Taking feedback can be hard, but hearing the feedback is necessary to the development of your story.
Maybe you’re not ready to share your writing just yet. You can still benefit a whole lot from attending a writing group in other ways.
2. Learn from others’ stories
When you read the works of award-winning authors, you may have trouble seeing what they’re doing right. Or rather, you may have trouble seeing what their not doing wrong. When you read writers who are less far in their journey, you can more easily spot their pitfalls, and you can avoid them yourself.
Additionally, you’ll want to pay attention to the feedback others’ receive. You can learn more about the craft this way, and you can see if that feedback applies to your own story. If it doesn’t, you now know one strength your manuscript has, or at least one weakness it lacks.
3. Find well-being in community
As I’ve written before, the literary world is an exercise in patience. Perhaps you’re waiting on replies from agents, perhaps you’re waiting for your manuscript to finish itself, perhaps you’re wondering why you write at all. These feelings aren’t just normal; they’re expected. Commiserating with likeminded individuals provides a deep level of comfort that you cannot find anywhere else.
What’s more, the passions of those around you can work to stoke your own passion. So when you’re ready to give up, you can find motivation in the work of those around you.
Writing is a solitary practice most of the time. The writer must, therefore, seek community proactively.
And so, you should join a writing group (or two!) if you haven’t already. Don’t wait until your manuscript is done. Don’t wait until you feel like you can call yourself a “real” writer. Go, and talk, and listen, and learn.
– AJG
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