Today's a day that's all about romance and affection. There are several different origin stories for Valentine's Day, but whatever the historical truth, today celebrates love!
So, I wanted to share some writerly love with you, and encourage you to connect with other writers to network, learn, and share goals. As an inducement, I'll give you my top 10 reasons to join writing groups. Of course, the trick is to understand specifically what you want for yourself and then select a circle that will help you achieve your aims. (Read my post about different kinds of writing groups.) That said, there are some common reasons to join a circle, and I've distilled them into my top 10 reasons:
Get Things Done. There's nothing like a group of people who share your enthusiasm for writing to keep you focused on your author goals. Whenever you meet or communicate, and about whatever topic, you'll feel a sense of purpose and possibility that will energize your progress and help you achieve.
Know Your Creative Self. When you work and share with others, you'll hear your own voice and observe your creative habits with fresh eyes. This will lead you to discover strengths you didn't know you had. And when you listen to others, you'll learn what sparks ignite your creative fire.
Fine Tune Your Process. Whatever the purpose of your group—timed sprints, manuscript sharing, business talk, or writing-progress accountability—the group environment will help you gain insight into what fuels your writing bursts and what kills your creativity dead. You'll deal with your own multitasking, distractions, and time sucks that get in the way of your work, as well as routines and habits that advance your aims.
Make Like a Mad Scientist. A writing group means you have permission to be creative. So leverage the group to get to know your own writing, consider different perspectives, and try new things. Your writing group can become your laboratory! While you may not use every experiment, you'll turn your creative faucets on full, which will benefit your work.
Enjoy a Supportive and Fun Environment. Creatives value play because that's where our imaginations can grow and our emotional and cognitive strengths can flex. You'll find inspiration to achieve in a supportive and playful group.
Connect with Potential Mentors. You can benefit from group members with experience. These authors have real-life lessons to share, which will help you avoid pitfalls and guide you to greater success as you develop your skills and capabilities.
Network with Authors. As writers, we spend a lot of time working by ourselves. But making connections with other authors is critical if we want to uncover new opportunities, forge writing friendships, and stay motivated.
Organize. Whether the group provides accountability through regular meetings or deadlines, or fosters a culture of consistent attention on your author work, or shares explicit tips and tricks to organize, you'll develop better ways to use your time, manage your materials and marshall your resources. While everyone's approach to organization is different, if you're disorganized, it's near impossible to accomplish any creative work.
Stay on Task. Life happens every single day, and it's all too easy to feel that things are out of control, which can cause writers to give up on their projects, and in the worst cases, their creative dreams. Surrounded by people who offer understanding for writing struggles, you'll be able to navigate the inevitable ups and downs of daily life to keep writing.
Get Incredible Value for Your Investment. Involve yourself in your writing group and you'll get a lot out of the experience as well as save money on costly writing services. It only takes your time and attention to reap personal and professional benefits that will boost your creative development.
Don't forget, my ebook, The Write Group (available from Amazon), will help you get the most out of any writing group you choose. But for now, let me know: Was there one reason to join a group that jumped out at you? Tell me in the comments!
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