Writing Communities: An Indispensable Resource

by

Alexis Ulrich

 

            Artistic endeavours such as writing are often done in solitude, but that doesn’t mean any writer can go without the support of a community. No matter what you write, there is nothing like support from your peers to improve your work. Not only do you get to spend time around a diverse group of people who share one of your most cherished interests, you also get to learn from them and teach them a few things yourself. Being a part of a writing community is important for many reasons. Here are just a few:

1.      You get to see things from new perspectives: Sometimes being a part of a writing community is as simple as talking to other writers and reading their work. We all know that people are wildly different from each other, and writing can be like a window into someone else’s mind. That is always beneficial because even ideas we personally disagree with or don’t understand can serve as a platform for our own ideas and inspire us to understand our differences better. A common piece of advice is to write what you know, but note that is only true to an extent. A big part of creative writing is making discoveries and learning as you go. Talking to your peers is a big way to help with that.

2.      You get to know your audience: Every good writer knows that you have to write for your audience. Otherwise, who would read your work? Well, other writers in your community know things about your audience that you might not, and you can share your knowledge with them. What’s more, writers of your genre are also readers of your genre, so they have their own ideas of what they want to read. Talking to your fellow writers is a good way to know whether your work is on the right track to keep people interested.

3.      It’s a great source of motivation: If you’re writing on your own all the time, it’s easy to procrastinate. Sometimes it can seem as if you’ll never get anything done. A writing community provides one of the very best antidotes for that rut: people who are interested in what stories you have to tell. Having people who are curious about your work holds you accountable for getting it done, and that can be fulfilling in itself.

4.      It’s good for networking: Writing groups consist of people at all stages of development, so if you are looking for resources, they are a great place to start. Other writers might know about workshops, agents, submission opportunities, and organizations that you might not have heard of otherwise.

Communities are invaluable to a writer. Not only do writing communities provide a source of feedback and peer review, they hold endless possibilities to broaden our minds, keep us up to date on what our audience wants, provide us with resources and opportunities, and even just give us a reason to keep writing when we might not otherwise. Above all else, being around people who value writing as much as you do might help form new friendships and bonds. Writing may be a solitary activity, but it need not be lonely!



4 Creative Ways to Beat Writer's Block

by

Alexis Ulrich

 

            A common bit of advice given to writers is that in order to improve, you should try to write something every day. Oftentimes, that’s easier said than done. Whether you’re writing a blog, a short story, an essay, or something else, your environment is often full of distractions. Maybe you’re distracted by the Internet, maybe you’ve been staring at a blank document for twenty minutes. Maybe you’re just letting your mind wander. No matter what’s stopping you, getting started is the hardest part. My personal experience has told me that sometimes, you just have to break the mold a bit to get started. If nothing’s coming to you for your current project, take a break from the norm for a few minutes and try pushing the limits of your skill to see what you can do.

1.         Write outside your genre: Do you normally write nonfiction? Try writing a short story. Do you write slice of life novels? Try your hand at fantasy. Have you never written a poem? Give it a try. No matter what you normally write, find out what your comfort zone is and push at its edges to write something you’ve never written much of. Practicing by trying something novel can sometimes keep you focused better, in addition to expanding your horizons as to what you can do.

2.         Write something completely insane: Not everything you write has to be shared. Another way to push boundaries is to come up with the wildest idea you can think of and stretch your imagination to its limits.  After all, one of the best ways to relieve the stress of feeling stuck is to let down your boundaries and make yourself laugh a bit.

3.         Write fanfiction: Fanfiction isn’t just a pastime for teenagers, it’s a genuine way to practice your writing skills with a story you already love as a platform. Take your favorite fictional characters as you know them and put them in a new setting. Not that into fiction? Write a nonfiction parody. Have fun with it, as it’s a great low-pressure way to exercise your creativity when you’re feeling stuck.

4.         Likewise, mess with your own work: If you get stuck in the middle of a piece, go to a separate space and stay on that task, but incorporate some of that wild, mind-wandering creativity into your project. Of course you might not want to keep that in your final draft, but if you let yourself go off on a tangent while keeping the subject matter in mind, you can get all the benefits of my previous suggestions without taking your mind too far off task!

Even if you want to write a bit every day, sometimes you just aren’t feeling it. But if you push your own limits and write outside the box, you can still exercise those writing skills. Take a break from thinking about one thing and try some fun, low-pressure writing activities. You may find that when you get back on task, the ideas flow much more easily.