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How To Meet Other Writers and Why You Should by Janice Wald

2/26/2015

10 Comments

 
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TGIF! And a wonderful Friday it is too. Because today's post features guest blogger Janice Wald with some great advice for writers. Enjoy!
                                                                          ***                        ***

Are you a new writer who was not prepared for the demands of doing what you love? People say that everything comes with a price. Have you had to pay the price for pursuing your passion, writing?


One of the demands on a writer is time. Writers find it difficult to fulfill their daily obligations and simultaneously find time to write. I have read about and observed situations where family members feel neglected by the family writer’s attempts to divide time that formerly belonged to them. If you can relate to feeling overwhelmed by these pressures and more, this post is for you.

One way people find support when they find themselves under added stress is through supportive people. However, while people mean well, they may not understand the pressures on a writer. Many just don’t “get it”. The goal is to find not just supportive people, but supportive writers.

How to Find Support Systems for Writers

  • Conferences – There are many ways to find out about conferences.

I recently attended a conference I found out about through Facebook. I am a member of several Southern California Facebook blogging groups, so finding out about a local conference was easy. My posts How Bloggers Can Focus and How Bloggers Can Stay Focused details the instruction I received at the conference. When I was there, a participant told me about a way to find more conferences. She told me to Google BlogHer Conferences. I did and found many more in California where I live.

At the conference, I became closer with the presenter. We met for coffee, and she explained Triberr to me. To date, How You Can Increase Your Blog Traffic Using Triberr is one of my most popular posts. Networking is crucial for any writer, blogger or otherwise. I not only received support but my skills increased.

  • Classes – There are many ways to find classes for writers.

The first place to look would be in some formal classroom setting. Community colleges and adult schools should be obvious places to look. In our community, Parks and Recreation puts out a brochure offering classes to all ages, levels, and topics of interest. These course offerings are free. I recently took a photography class in hopes of improving the photos I use in my blog posts.

The next place to look for writing classes is online. WordPress is currently offering three, Blogging 101, Blogging 201, and Writing 101. I took the first two. In the six weeks that I was enrolled in them, I gained ninety new blog followers. Networking is invaluable.

  • Online Support Groups – There is an easy way to find online support groups—online!

Lidy Wilks, the administrator of this blog, told me in passing she joined a support group for insecure writers. I was so touched. I looked online and found other support groups for insecure writers as well.

  • Events –There are many ways to find events where you can meet new writers. Can you guess how? If you said, online, you guessed it! 

A new follower of mine explained her secret to success—she meets many new bloggers at blogging events. She writes them, and they write her. She gets new followers and more writers who become online friends.

WordPress holds many of the events she attends. They have a daily prompt, for example, where writers read each others’ responses to see how each tackled the challenge.

In addition, there are Twitter parties for writers. One is held on Wednesdays. Use the hashtag  #WriterWednesday and you’ll find many other writers.

The SITS Girls holds blog hops every Saturday that is internationally renown. They also have a wealth of information and resources to help writers. I am even holding a blog hop, also called a Linky Party, and I do every Monday and have met nice people who come to my site to post the links to their writing. I host The Inspire Me Monday Linky Party with seven other women and have networked that way too.

Clearly, networking is invaluable. As an emotional support system if you need to reach out, as a way to improve skills, and even as a way to simply get a question answered, nothing beats networking.

I am currently putting together an Expert Round Up post. I interviewed experts in the field of writing and asked them their best tip. Suzi81, Creator of http://Suzie81speaks.com and #SundayBlogShare says networking is the best tip she can offer a writer. For the reasons I’ve stated in this post, I agree.

I’d like to thank Lidy Wilks and IHeartAllStories for hosting me. I offer many more writing tips and time-saving techniques for writers at my site Reflections at mycurrentnewsblog.com.

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Janice Wald is a wife, mother, teacher and blogger. Her greatest motivation in life is blogging about blogging. And dispensing advice through blogging. 

PS Some have answered the call, but there are many more that is needed. If you're interested in poetry, like to read and write it, please sign up and participate in the 30 Days of Poetry Love project. #npm15
10 Comments
Janice Wald link
2/27/2015 12:50:37 am

Hi Lidy,
Thank you so much for having my writing on your site. I am truly honored to be your guest. Janice

Reply
Lidy link
2/27/2015 01:12:33 am

You're welcome Janice. And thank you for writing such an enlightening post. Mind you, attending a writing conference is one thing I really want to do most (don't have a budget for it). But no matter what I'm going to try to get myself to one (locally, to the annual WD, etc), no matter how I have to scrimp and scrape to do it.

Reply
ChemistKen link
2/27/2015 04:39:37 am

Thanks for the post, Lidy and Janice. As a new writer, meeting other writers has been one of the most important things for me.

Reply
Janice Wald link
2/27/2015 06:35:37 pm

Hi!
It sounds like networking has helped you. I am glad. Some people are mixed on the value. However, everything good that has happened to me as a blogger has occurred due to networking, like meeting Lidy =).

Reply
RYCJ link
2/27/2015 06:14:47 am

This post provides a wonderful uplift. I've been to a number of conferences... some of the best social times I've had during my writing career!

Reply
Janice Wald link
2/27/2015 06:37:42 pm

Hi,
My recent conference I attended with a friend. She wasn't even a blogger. I got business cards, and we passed them out together. It was a lot of fun, and they even had goodie bags. Thank you for reading what I wrote and your interest in my writing. Janice

Reply
Cathrina Constantine
2/27/2015 11:34:10 pm

Good post, Janice and Lidy. Very interesting.

Reply
Janice Wald link
2/28/2015 06:24:09 pm

Hi,
Thank you so much for the kind words. I hope you will be able to find some of what I wrote valuable.

Reply
Olivia link
2/28/2015 05:25:11 pm

I feel like my options are limited because I live abroad and there are very few English writers here. But I do have an online community called www.youngwriterssociety.com where I spend a lot of my time! And I learned how useful it is to talk and communicate with other writers as well. I like this guest post ^.^

Reply
Janice Wald link
2/28/2015 06:29:25 pm

Hi Olivia,
Thank you for the kind words about my guest post. I am such a Shakespeare fan, to the point of obsession, that to hear there is a scarcity of English writers disappoints and surprises me. That said, it sounds like you are doing what you can to find a community of like-minded people for the sake of networking and emotional support. That is terrific. I would pursue the Internet. Although it may not be in person, at least you'll accomplish the important goal of networking. Thank you again for your interest in, and your kind words about, my writing.
Janice

Reply



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