The "I" in Writer? We're Not So Alone, Anymore...

I write, therefore I am

Writing keeps me sane (ish)

I am a writer. It's what I do. I love it. Not to mention, it probably keeps me sane.

I know that overall writing is a solitary endeavor. Who knows your characters, stories and intentions better than you, their creator? No one.

But... these days being a writer isn't all about solitary confinement. There are so many avenues to keep a writer on the road to success that I'm sometimes overwhelmed by the opportunities.

There are professional organizations in most genres that help maintain a sense of community and keep a writer up-to-date on the ever-changing world of publishing and reader preferences. If you haven't found one, do a little research and see if there's a group in your area.

Chances are there is both a national organization and smaller, regional chapters.

Input from my multi-genre group made this book stronger.

There are also writer's groups that form in public arenas such as libraries, coffee houses, book stores, colleges and art houses. A lot of these independent groups are multi-genre. These can be supremely useful when you're looking to ensure you're hitting ALL the readers the right way. The first time I ever shared a romantic portion of my novel Knight of the Mist with my multi-genre group, I was absolutely blown away by the responses and dead-on critiques from the action writers, the poets and the ghostwriter. They didn't write in my genre but they had insight that was invaluable. Different ears hear different things.

Again, check around for these groups. Make friends with your librarians and book store owners/managers because they are often in the know about what groups are around and just waiting for you to join.
More than once I've seen a smaller critique group be born from these larger groups. It's not a bad thing, it's just a smaller and more concentrated setting with like-minded people. I would not abandon the multi-genre group for a smaller group, though. Find a way to work both into your schedule.

A lot of authors work with only one or two critique partners, too. Decreasing the number greatly increases the individual time and attention your work receives from them.The closer the partnership, the more they will know about your stories and characters and the deeper and more intuitive their critique can become.
But it's not all about having a critique group/partner. I know plenty of authors who don't work with one and put out some genius work.

Are they solitary? Nope. They're on the other end of the spectrum - the social aspect. They hang out in writer forums just to talk shop or with readers to talk the fun stuff. We can hook up with the world in ways that make us less isolated and more animated.

I enjoy being on Facebook and chatting with various people in various niche groups. I talk all the time so Twitter is pretty perfect for my random thoughts. I try to attend chats given by authors I enjoy or reader groups with whom I'm involved.

The world is out there and as writers we are no longer relegated to the status of hermit.Bury ourselves and only come out once a quarter.

It feels good.

It feels liberating.

So for me, the I in writer means Invigorated, Informational, Interesting,In-depth, Investigative... It really means I'm not alone and I'm very glad for that.

Happy Reading,
Jennifer