This workstation fueled by coffee
Have you ever had one of those moments when you discover something that you didn’t even know you were missing?
Maybe it was when you took a class and it changed the entire direction of your academic goals.
It could be when you met a very special someone.
Or it could be walking into your first local chapter meeting of American Christian Fiction Writers.
Okay, that last one was just me.
It was great enough to participate in the Christian Writers Guild meetings, which encompasses all types of writers and publishing. But the local chapter of ACFW, dubbed MN N.I.C.E., was more specific, smaller and directed at learning skills to write more effective fiction.
I’ve been trying to allow myself to dream big and work to make connections in writing circles. I have much to learn, and I’m not too proud to admit that there are many times when I don’t even know the question to ask. I don’t mind learning from others, in fact I welcome it. It can be intimidating to walk into a room filled with a bunch of people you don’t know. When you come to a group that is united by a common cause or purpose, it really decreases the new-member fear factor.
In my experience, people at these meetings are welcoming and happy to visit, even if they don’t know you personally…yet. And the questions they ask to start a conversation will make you feel like someone is taking seriously your writing endeavors, which in itself can be enough reason to go to a meeting! Sure, you may be one of the youngest people there, and there seem to be little to tie you to the people in that room, but when you realize your goals and aims are rooted in writing, there is a commonality that bridges many gaps in background, life station, personality or interests.
Three other places I’ve been able to connect online:
- Twitter on Tuesday evenings by using the #writestuff hashtag
- Twitter on Friday nights by using the #writeclub hashtag
- Facebook as a part of the Writers Unite group.
I highly recommend engaging with other writers this way. In addition, almost every state has its own group of local writers, people who are out there doing it. It may not be convenient to you, but they are out there. And it is a matter of how much you want it. How much do you want to further your own writing skills and potentially give back to your local writing community? Even if you don’t drive to a meeting once a month, with a little internet access, you can connect with others and save on gas. 🙂
If you have ideas for other ways to ‘find your tribe’ as a writer, I’d love to hear from you. And as a reader of this blog, you are part of my writing tribe, my writing community, and I thank you for being a part of this journey. Seriously. Thank you.
(Here’s the link for American Christian Fiction Writers: http://www.acfw.com/ )
Finding community is so important – nothing like valuable feedback and support from fellow tribe members.
I totally agree!
Reblogged this on Writing: Live the Dream and commented:
I feel a little lame doing this, mostly because I’m not sure of the blog etiquette – can I reblog a post from another blog I write? Well I’m doing it, folks! And you are the topic of the blog, so I hope you enjoy it. as always, my sincere thanks for reading!
Hello
So glad to be joining the journey with you! Not an accident to be close to you in proximity. The meeting has jostled me out of my slumber! I am pumped! The ideas are swimming up there, just waiting to be put down on paper…uhh…computer!! Have a great writing day.
It can be so invigorating to sit in a room and get the ideas flowing. I’m so glad you feel inspired, and I’m looking forward to seeing what God has in store for you – it’s sure to be amazing!
Hey, we’re apart of the same online communities. We are in tribes together! I’ve found a lot of strength in online communities, because I haven’t found as many local get-togethers, but online the options seem infinite.
I would like to get more involved in online communities,and you’ve really encouraged me, Nita (once again!). I’m just a bit (understatement of the year) techno-challenged. I did log on to the Twitter conversation at #writestuff but I have no clue how to join. I need to hire a Twitter coach! 🙂 Also I looked up the Writers Unite group but it says it’s a closed group; do you need an invitation to join? Sometimes I feel like a displaced dinosaur. Hmmm, Possible future blog post? Thanks for the usual good stuff, Nita. It’s always such a pleasure to read your blog.
You are so kind! I’m so glad you are finding encouragement and ways to expand as a writer.
As for the Twitter conversation, the best way I’ve figured out is to use Tweetchat. You log into it using your Twitter profile, then you enter the hashtag you want to watch. It brings up ALL the comments people are making using the hashtag. And if you comment on anything, it automatically adds the hashtag so you don’t have to remember every time. The front page of the website has step by step instructions. http://tweetchat.com/ (And this took me a couple weeks to find out about. At first I was trying to follow along by searching the hashtag on my phone, and it was a big mess.)
As for the Writers Unite, I think if you click “Join Group” they’ll just have to click something on their end to approve you, and they’re very welcoming. 🙂 I’ll be looking for you!
One last thing? I hope you don’t feel like you need to do it all at once. If you can pace yourself and tackle one thing at a time, you’ll feel way less overwhelmed by it all. It can feel like a lot to keep up with! But you’re getting out there and making the effort, which is a fantastic way to start! ~Blessings
I love being a part of various online communities but I have to admit it is a little overwhelming trying to keep up with it all.
I agree. I can see why people are able to do that stuff full-time. I have to be purposeful about when I’m engaged online and when I’m not. It can take away from writing time if I peek over at Twitter or something else! And I’m just getting going, so I’m sure there’s a whole iceberg down there that I could be missing.
SO glad you came to MN-NICE. It’s wonderful to have online communities, but there’s something extra special about getting to meet our kindred spirits in person that adds even more specialness (is that a word?). I highly recommend connecting with your peeps locally, if at all possible (sometimes that even means crossing state lines!).
Have you tried She Writes? It is a virtual community but there are several groups. You might find one that suits you down to a T.
That’s a new one to me, but that’s not surprising since I find new online stuff all the time! Thanks for the heads-up. Are you a part of She Writes?