Gone are the days where writing is entirely solitary. Sure, the lonely rooms still exist, and getting to Starbucks early to work on that WIP is a thing. But now, thanks to social media and the ever changing landscape of the medium, we now have #Writingcommunity.

If you’re a Twitter user, LinkedIn poster, or Facebook yeller, you’ve probably seen the hashtag. And thanks to that former pound sign, writers have a brand new way to stay connected. It’s more than just a hashtag, it’s a mean to share ideas, connect, critique, and more. Of course, as solitary beings ripe with the consistent passions of “making it one day”, it can be hard to embrace those who are in essence your competition.

Why would you want to connect with those vying for the same agent you queries this morning? Well, here are some reasons why.

They Can Understand

The writing community may all be posting sixty Tweets about #writerslift, it can be annoying. But, unlike the cashier ringing up your Advil, other writers can understand. Writing is stressful. Writing is uncertain. Writing forces you to sit down in one place for hours on end staring at a screen questioning your self worth. Who better to help you than someone doing the exact same thing? The writing community can be a force to lean on when things get weird. 

They Can Be Motivating

Everyday there’s a writer who just gives up. Everyday there’s a writer who thinks about giving up. Everyday there’s a writer who posts these sentiments online and faces a wave of other writers telling them to keep going. Sure there are the bitter writers who will tell you to stop wasting your time. But often times that’s just for attention. The truth is, just as the writing community can be a force to lean on, they can also be the very same people who root you on to keep going. 

They’re Your Audience

We spoke about this one way more in depth here, but we’ll say it again: the writing community are your readers! Do you really think that other writers don’t or won’t read you simply because you’re their “competition”? If you’ve got a good product people will read you. Most people who read also enjoy writing. You should be catering to your audience. You should be making connections and better I understanding what they value in their reading. The writing community are not your enemies. They’re your audience.

They’ve Got The Connects

Guess what? That writer you’ve been avoiding because they have a little bit more success, they know people that know people who may or may not want to get to know you and your WIP. You’ve got to make connections to grow in your field. That’s just the way of business. You’ll be far more successful being nice to people than making yourself out to be an enemy.

Well there you have it. It’s not easy to be vulnerable in an industry that’s pretty competitive. It’s natural to only be out for yourself and want to see your work on a best seller’s list. But the truth is, you need the writing community. And frankly, they need you!

---

Beta Reads

Part of the writing community is about getting feedback. When it comes to your prose, it’s best to get as many eyes on it as possible because your own will always be bias. You need a fresh perspective.

We here at Short Story Avenue know how difficult it can be to find those honest and unbiased eyes for your work and that’s why we offer truly affordable beta reads so you can get feedback on your WIP or manuscript.

Contact us today at shortstoryave@gmail.com