Writers Need . . . People

Hello! Good to see you.

So, you've decided you'd like to write. Welcome to the writing world! You've found your genre, and you are practicing your craft. How often you write is up to you, but I will tell you if you can make writing a habit, you will progress much faster.

Finding - Making Time to Write

One of the biggest struggles for a writer is trying to find the time to write. If you are like most people, you have a busy life. You may work full-time. You might be a mom who is juggling kids and a job. Or, you may be an older person who is caring for elderly parents. To get anywhere in the writing world, you must make the time to write. What that time looks like can be different for every person.

Writing Personalities

Some people can only write in absolute silence. Others do better with a dull (or not so dull) family/pets hum in the background, and then there are people who write best while music is playing. Experiment. Do what works for you, but be serious about your writing time. Set a scheduled time each day, or week, and make writing a habit.

Something is Missing

You've set up a time to write. The perfect idea for a book hit you. After a lot of hard work, and some sweat, you are finally looking at your first draft. Be sure to celebrate all the big and little milestones of your writing! You've read your story to your significant other, your mom, your best friend, your kids, and even the dog. They all applauded your accomplishments (well, all except the dog, unless you've taught him to clap)! This is all lovely, but something is missing.

Start BIG!

You realize you need more than just family and friends who love you to give you feedback on your work. You need other writers. But, how do you find them? To accomplish this goal, you need to start big. One of the best things you can do is join a writing organization. If you are writing for children, SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) is the place to be. They hold events that you can attend: conferences and writer's retreats, where you will learn so much, plus it gives you the chance to meet other writers. If you've chosen another genre, look for other writing organizations, and join!

From Big to Small for the Win

You can be as active as you'd like with your writing organization. Attend conferences, take copious notes, and be sure to mingle. It's fun to talk to other people who share your passion for writing. To move forward once again, you need to keep the big, but go small, too. I'll explain what I mean in more detail next week.

Thanks for being here! 😊