Why Writers Need Other Writers
By Patricia Fry
The process of writing is generally a solitary activity, and most writers like it that way. We enjoy spending time alone, contemplating a plot, developing characters and writing stories or articles in peace and quiet. If we need companionship throughout our writing day, we turn to our feline friends. For cats do not interfere; nor do they criticize.
Like many of my colleagues, I once avoided meeting other writers. When I did succumb to a friend’s pleas of, “You’ve got to meet Diane. The two of you have so much in common,” I was usually disappointed. We’d exchange the typical “Hello. Nice meeting you. What do you write?” And that’s where the conversation stopped. Soon we’d both be looking around for someone with whom we could actually carry on a meaningful conversation.
Worse, however, was trying to talk about the writing life with non-writers. Few people understood my passion for writing. Even those close to me didn’t take my career seriously, at first. To most people, a writer is someone who sits down when inspiration strikes and writes for pure pleasure. They don’t think of words as salable items. In fact, most non-writers have never met a professional writer.
The more I wrote, the more known I became (at least locally). Soon a flurry of would-be and wanna-be writers were knocking at my door. They wanted to know, “How can I get started as a writer?” “How do I find a publisher for my book?” “Will you critique my first three chapters?” and so forth. As I responded to their questions, I began to realize the value of the information I’d gathered over the years. So I organized that information and developed a workshop which I presented many times.
In 1996, I helped organize a networking organization called SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network). During the five years that the three Chapters of SPAWN met, I attended nearly 200 meetings. And I discovered something interesting. The more I interacted with other writers, the more I benefited. Finally, I felt validated as a writer. I now had other models to follow in carving out my writing career. I was learning things I couldn’t learn while working in solitude. And I was able to share the fruits of my own experiences and knowledge with others.
SPAWN is still going strong as an online community. Now, my best friends are writers and my favorite activities are those involving writers. Consequently, my career continues to evolve and I am even more fulfilled as a writer.
Following are some of the advantages of belonging to a writers’ organization either online or face-to-face:
1: It’s validating. You can interact with people who understand your passion for writing and your commitment to your profession. Validation is important to writers who sometimes question their decision to write.
2: It’s motivating. Spending time in the company of other writers is stimulating. Maybe you’re bordering on burnout or suffering from writer’s block. Positive conversation with fellow writers can give you a fresh perspective and nudge you to get back to productive work.
3: It’s educational. I don’t recall ever attending a writing-related meeting or participating in a writers’ forum (such as the one at the SPAWN website) without learning something new. Each of us is a teacher and a student. We can learn from the fledgling writer as well as from the seasoned author.
4: It’s a great networking opportunity. Networking with other writers can benefit your writing business or career. I know an editor who acquires many of her clients through the contacts she makes at writers’ events. I met both my page-layout artist and cover designer at writers’ workshops.
5: It’s inspirational. If you see others achieving their goals, it encourages you to accomplish your own.
6: You have the opportunity to give back. It feels good to offer budding writers some of the fruits of your experience.
If you’re a writer who doesn’t believe that you need other writers, I urge you to reconsider. Join a writers’ group or organization. Participate in an online forum with other writers. Attend writers’ conferences. But don’t expect to get something for nothing. Take the words, “join” and “participate” seriously. Remember that you will get out of the experience what you are willing to put into it.
Patricia Fry is the president of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) at www.spawn.org and a full-time freelance writer. She is the author of 29 books including “The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book.” www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html.
