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Why Writers Need To Stick Together

By on March 28, 2017
Why Writers Need To Stick Together -Writer's Life.org

Writing can often feel like such a solitary pursuit. For the most part, writers are alone. Day in day out they sit at home, just them alone with their thoughts, and they have to simply get on with things. In fact, it’s easy to spend entire days without communicating with a fellow human being!

However, writing doesn’t have to be like this. It is, in fact, both important and useful to find fellow writers to connect with. There is so much value within the writing community, so perhaps it’s time for us writers to drag ourselves away from our computers, put ourselves out there, and try to connect with one another.

So why is it so crucial that writers should stick together?

They understand how you feel

You can talk to family and friends about your writing, and those closest to you will understand how important it is to you. However, only fellow writers can truly understand how painful it can feel to get rejected. How frustrating it can be to suffer writer's block. How difficult and overwhelming it can be when trying to get published. Sharing your woes, your hopes, your dreams, and your fears with a tribe of people who really get it can be invaluable and can save a writers sanity too!

They can help you edit your work

Writers can help one another improve their writing. They know what to look out for when it comes to editing, they know the common traps that all writers can easily fall into. If you can find a community of writers who are willing to read and constructively criticise one another’s work, this kind of feedback can be invaluable.

They have contacts

From publishers to book cover designers, communicating with other writers opens you up to a whole network of people who can help to make your book brilliant. It is well worth getting to know other writers and helping one another out in this way. You never know, a writer who got their book cover designed because of a recommendation you made might go on to become a bestseller, and then be more than happy to help you promote your own work in order to return the favour!

They provide true support

If you make real connections and friendships with other writers their generosity can be rather overwhelming at times. Don’t go in with an agenda, but rather be genuine, ask questions and offer support. If you do you’ll be wonderfully surprised with what you get in return. Writers understand one another, they want to help and support one another, and there is always a feeling of ‘we’re in this together’ rather than ‘every man for himself.’

If you are willing to actively participate in the writing community you’ll not only find a huge number of wonderful, intelligent, helpful people to connect with, and who can help you with your work, you can also make real, lifelong friends in the process! So next time you are feeling alone and haven’t spoken you anyone but your cat in five days, why not reach out to your fellow writers? You’ll be so glad you did!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

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