12 Tips to Find Writing Support and Feel Less Alone
I celebrated my completed manuscript with a pity party, but you don’t have to!
When I got serious about writing, I hung a “Do Not Disturb — Writer at Work” sign from my door handle, sat at my small, antique desk in the corner of my bedroom, and wrote — a solitary endeavor. After months of drafting every day for a few hours, I had a completed manuscript.
Whoa! I finished it!
But no one knew I was writing so when it came time to celebrate, I didn’t know anyone who would understand what I had gone through.
I asked friends if they would read my manuscript. But most of them weren’t readers, were too busy, and/or didn’t seem to care. I hadn’t known about beta readers at the time. Here I was with a finished draft and no one to share it with.
So, I threw myself a pity party with two boxes: one filled with tissues and the other with chocolates.
I didn’t stay at that party for long: too many chocolates can cause a stomachache on top of the heartache. Thus, rising out from under the mound of tissues, I wiped the chocolate from my face and came up with a plan.
The actions I took organically evolved over time. Each writer’s journey is different and there isn’t a clear path. However, in sharing my story, I hope you find help shaping your own writing career. (And I hope you’ll never have to suffer a pity party.)
This is what I recommend:
- Connect on Twitter with the bustling writing community
- Join writing organizations and start reaching out to other writers
- Enter writing contests and engage with other applicants on social media
- Build up your Instagram with writing buddies, authors, and readers
- Find critique partners and beta readers
- Celebrate authors by reading their books, reviewing their works, and congratulating them
- Encourage and celebrate writers on their way to milestones and when they reach them
- Set up a blog to share your experience
- Create a website to feature what you’re working on
- Hire an author coach to work on your mindset
- Partner with bloggers to guest blog on the topic of books, including author interviews and book reviews
- Walk away from bad energy and toxic relationships. This is huge. I realized when I surrounded myself with good energy and positive people that I began reaching my goals.
And here are some helpful links:
Writing Communities:
Writing Mentorships:
Beta Readers and Critique Partners:
Writing Organizations:
Women’s Fiction Writers Association
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators
Website/Blog Platform:
Writing Contests:
James Jones First Novel Fellowship
If your passion is writing — find people who get it. Don’t try to go at your dreams alone. There are people who will support you (who you can also support), who do understand; find them and don’t let them go.
Annie Cathryn is a writer, blogger, marketer, and book influencer. She is in the process of publishing her debut novel. As the host of IGTV’s Soulful Series Video Chats, Annie features award-winning and bestselling authors who have written a memoir, anthology, or nonfiction motivational book. She lives outside of Chicago with her husband and daughter.
Anniecathryn.com
