I don’t know about you, but before I studied writing I had a specific, singular vision of what being a writer was. In my mind’s eye I’d conjure up the image of someone locked in an office, curtains half drawn, lazy dust-motes drifting in shafts of sunlight, clacking away furiously at a typewriter or keyboard. I found it appealing but lonely. Younger me loved the idea of telling a story someone couldn’t put down. I really wanted to write that next best seller, and at the time I thought I knew just how to do it. Somewhere though, I’d incorrectly picked up the assumption that writers created their work in isolation. To me a great writer must’ve been someone who sacrificed it all. They must’ve locked themselves away with nothing but their keyboard and the Muses to guide them.
That couldn’t be further from the truth. Writing is far from an isolated and withdrawn pursuit. If you think about it, being withdrawn is antithetical to writing, which is all about the preservation and dissemination of ideas. Writing is a collaborative effort, at times almost as collaborative as any sport. You’ve got numerous players, all with their own roles. The writer, editor, publisher, and professional reader are all crucial pieces to any writing’s success. It takes a lot of people to bring something to print, and of course, you must have a willing audience in the first place.
A large part of writing is collaborating, and how do you collaborate? By building your own writer’s community. A writer’s community supports a writer in their work; they read, listen, and discuss with the writer. Writing community members support the process, product, and the VISION. They’re there every step of the way, from first lines to final manuscript—and oh boy does a writer need them. A writer needs a strong community to improve their work. Masterpieces aren’t made in a vacuum; they’re made out in the open—messily—for everyone to see.
Despite the name, your writer’s community doesn’t need to consist of only fellow writers. That mindset may even set you back, how many fellow writers do you really know? Enough to form a well-rounded group? Odds are most of us find ourselves living on a deserted writing island, populated by maybe, if we’re lucky, one or two other literary inclined souls. That’s alright though, fear not. Your community is what you make it, and whoever you share your writing with becomes part of community. When you open membership to everyone and anyone who accesses your writing, you’ll find your community growing without you even trying.
I grow my writer’s community everywhere I go, just by proclaiming myself a writer. Talk about your work, take pride in it; people gravitate towards that. Before you know it, you’re surrounded by eager readers and thoughtful critics. One of my favorite things to do is go to a local café, sit down, and just start to write; invariably someone always comes up to me and asks me what I’m working on. Then for that brief couple of minutes we’re talking, that person is part of my writing community.
When I think back to my initial view of a writer, one that’s locked up in a dimly lit room, creating in isolation, I laugh. My best writing has been done in the busiest places, surrounded by strangers or should I say potential readers. We write for ourselves, sure, but we really write for others. Our writing is only as good as the impact it has on an audience, why not involve one in the process from the start?
