I’m sure you’ve heard the slogan if you are in a group of 4 millionaires, you’re going to be the 5th? Well, the same kind of goes for writing. If you are in a community with other writers then you are more likely to get up and start writing. This isn’t because they are pushing you. You are pushing yourself, but having a group that makes your passion stay front and center is invaluable. It’s the chance to share and talk about your process that’s so invaluable as a writer. Yes, writing itself is a pretty solitary activity. No one can write your story for you (I mean ghostwriters, but if not then no.) However, when you come out of your writing cave, it’s nice to have people that you are venting and cheering with. It exposes you to so much and gives you the chance to see what you’re working with as a writer. Maybe there are new innovations in writing style you might like, maybe you’ll find some amazing books to read. Either way, having a writing group is one of the frosting parts of the cake that is writing.

I am new to the whole having an author page. I had a Twitter for a minute and haven’t used it to the best of my ability, but I never had a page for my work as an author. Now, I have a page, I write articles, and I do a real-time book called “Broken Magnolias”. It’s been a lot of fun, but none of this would come about if I was not in a group of ladies that I can discuss the business and pitfalls of writing with. My crew is filled with ladies that are also writers. You can check out their pages at @wordscansingtoo and @1minoredit respectively. Since meeting them during Covid-19 my writing has jumped leaps and bounds when before it was stagnating due to me trying to go it alone. We all have very different writing backgrounds, and as such we bring different things to our table. One of us (@wordscansingtoo) is really outgoing and is very social media savvy. She was the one who asked me about my writer’s page and asked me why I didn’t have one. Needless to say, now I have one. The other is quieter (@1minoredit), but she is media savvy, she helps with the recordings and makes suggestions about what we can put on our page. I myself (@writerscrush) am just here for the LoL’s! I kid! I kid! I have an advising background and am generally good at being a sounding board and foil for other ideas.

We each bring a piece with us from our experiences as writers. So, when we get together to talk about the business of writing it’s from a lot of different places. You can do this as long as you make some ground rules about what it is you as a writer expects out of a group or team. It is a very give and take, and a lot of having to be respectful. You can’t just hop in, expect to have them review all of your things, and then hop out without offering any feedback. You can’t expect to come and take all the jewels of their experience without dropping any of yours. Also, at the same time, you are not their teacher or professor. Your writing experience does not invalidate the writing experience of others. Do not give advice that you are not asked for as it pertains to someone else’s book. This is a sharing experience, you running down someone else’s work is not sharing. You are not being helpful. You are hindering their journey. If you don’t think that you can do that, then solitary writing might before you. It will make the growth slower for sure, but at least you won’t be doing any harm.

I say all of this to say that having a writing group has been one of the most beneficial things to happen to my writing in a long while. I have come up with so many book ideas, articles, and stories. It’s been a really fun and amazing ride. The ladies and I even do Youtube series called The Write Talk that we hop on every other week and it is a product of being in a communal group that gives, takes, and shares with each other.

What about you? What do you give to your crew, and how did you find them? What projects do you have going on at this time? Have you found being in a writing community beneficial? Maybe you have found it to be a hindrance? Let me know below!