5 Ways to Find A Writing Community

Let's be honest. As glamorous as writing sounds, it all comes down to you, at your desk, writing alone. Pretty depressing, huh? But what if you could socialize your writing experience, and still stay productive? I'd say, sign me up!

When I was writing my first novel, These Are the Moments, I decided that I needed to find a writing community. It was important for me to make friends that understood the ups and downs of the writing process, and to meet people in all stages of this adventure. No matter where you are in your journey, it's time to socialize your writing experience.

Below I've broken down the five, most effective ways to find a writing community:

5 Ways to Find Your Writing Community | Blots & Plots

Find a Twitter Chat

Twitter is my favorite social media platform, by far. It's a quick, creative way to connect with people that allows you to ask questions, tweet at writers you admire and of course, participate in Twitter chats. A Twitter chat is an event hosted by one or multiples users, tracked with a hashtag in a set time frame. 

For instance, Kristen of She's Novel and I started a Twitter chat called Story Social. Every Wednesday at 9 PM EST, we tackle different topics about social media for writers, using #StorySocial.

The secret? Getting to know the regulars. After several months of hosting our chat, Kristen and I have gotten to know our chat-frequenters. It truly has become its own community, and I look forward to chatting with our friends every week.

To join in on the fun, follow the Story Social Chat host account.

Reach Out to Authors You Admire

When I first explored the idea of self-publishing, I found Ksenia Anske (her book is pictured above.) After binge-reading her posts and vowing to self-publish my own novel, I finally worked up the courage to send her an email. It went something like this:

 Dear Ksenia,

Hi, I'm Jenny Bravo and I'm kind of obsessed with you. Not in the stalker way. In the totally normal, fangirl way. I'm going to self-publish my book because of you. So, will you be my best friend?

XOXO, Jenny

I sent the same kind of email when I first met Kristen (She's Novel). When you find a writer that makes you fangirl, send them a personal email. Although, word of advice, you should try to be a bit more eloquent than I was.

A few things to keep in mind:

1. Be authentic. Don't be a suck-up.

2. Be complimentary. Again, don't be a suck-up.

3. Be purposeful. Don't waste this person's time. Have a point to your message, without being demanding.

Participate in NaNoWriMo

Let's write a novel! If you decide to participate in National Novel Writing Month, you're definitely going to find a writing community as you try to reach 50,000 words.

There are online forums as well as in-person meet-ups by city for writers of all stages. Because it's basically the Ironman for Writers, I've decided to form my own online writing community.

Click for more tips on how to win at NaNoWriMo + sign up for the community.

Join an In-Person Writing Group

Sometimes, you need that one-on-one personal touch. One of my favorite things about majoring in English was that I could workshop my writing every week in class.

But what if you don't have the luxury of in-person writer friends? Here are some alternate options:

1. Skype. Once you've found your online writing group, if you feel comfortable enough, you can "meet" on Skype.

2. Google Hangouts. Want to host a meet-up for several writers? Google Hangouts is your best bet! You can even record your session to reference later.

3. Facebook Groups. Spend your daily Facebook check-ins with your writing group.

Build Your Own Community

Want to find a writing community? Why not build your own? When I first got serious about writing my novel, I started writing my blog as well. With the help of Pinterest and Twitter, I was able to draw an awesome group of people to the blog, and create my community from there.

If you're not interested in blogging, here are a few other options:

1. YouTube. Comfortable in front of the camera? YouTube may be your place.

2. Podcasting. Let your voice be heard! Hop on the podcast game.

3. Instagram. If you like taking pictures, build up your Instagram game. Host challenges and interact with your audience.

Discussion Time: Do you have a writing community? What's your favorite place to interact with other writers?

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"I'm Not Good Enough" & Other Phrases to Stop Saying

"I'm not good enough." Raise your hand if you're guilty of believing this phrase. Go ahead, this is a safe space. Each of us, at one point or another, has thought one or all of the following phrases that I'm going to share with you today.

As writers, our mindset is directly connected to our productivity. If we're clouded with negative thoughts, we can't possibly perform at our best. So, how do we flip these phrases around to create more positive, productive thinking? Let me show you, friends!

I'm Not Good Enough

Instead, Say: I show up and give my best effort.

This is the biggest lie of them all, my friends. We make the mistake of judging our own work before we even give it a chance, and then, we end up quitting altogether. That's bull, people. So, take the emotion out of it. Instead, show up and give your best effort. Then, allow yourself that sense of accomplishment.

I Don't Have Enough Time

Instead, Say: I prioritize my time for the things that I enjoy.

Let me say this as gently as possible. "I Don't Have Enough Time" is a bunch of baloney. However, I do believe that we struggle with prioritizing our time. Do you have ten minutes to spare? With only ten minutes, my friends, you can change your writing game. For more in-depth advice on this, read my post on the number one secret to writing faster.

I Don't Have Enough Training

Instead, Say: I can improve my writing through practicing daily.

Does education help you? Absolutely. Do you need an MFA to write a book? No, sir/ma'am. You'll only grow as a writer if you're actually writing, so just start, and let experience train you.

I Have Too Many Ideas

Instead, say: I'm excited to develop one idea until it's completed.

We love the idea of new. It's why we jump every time a new iPhone releases. However, it's this fascination with novelty that keeps us from finishing anything. If we jump every time we get a new story idea, we'll never complete anything. Instead, choose the idea that excites you the most, the idea that has the most potential, the idea that has the most staying power. Then, see it through to the end.

I'm Not Good Enough (And Other Phrases to Stop Saying) | Blots & Plots

I Don't Have Any Good Ideas

Instead, Say: I haven't found my best idea yet, but I can use this time to brainstorm.

Maybe you haven't found the story idea with the it factor yet, and that's okay. Start with some character work or writing prompts. If you get in the habit of writing, it might spark an idea for you down the line.

I'm Not Smart Enough to Write a Book

Instead, Say: I have the dedication and the drive to write this book.

Not smart enough? No sir/ma'am. You don't have to be a literary genius to write a book. You simply need passion and dedication to the work. When we compare ourselves to the greats, we stunt our ability to make words happen. Do your best, and be proud!

I'm Not Creative Enough to Write a Book

Instead, Say: I'm excited for the challenge of writing and committed to the work.

I'm a firm believer that everyone has their own unique, creative spark. The idea that you're either creative or you're not is a big, fat lie. If you have an idea, you can make it happen. All you need to do is commit to the process. For more on this, read my post on first novel advice.

I Don't Know How to Start A Book

Instead, Say: I may not know how to start a book, but I have faith in my writing ability.

Writing a book is difficult, of course, but it's doable. If starting is holding you back, then write around that. Start from the end and write your way backwards. You can try writing from the middle, too. Whatever strategy gets words on the page, do that. Read this post on how to start your novel for extra tips.

I'll Write My Book When/After (Blank)

Instead, Say: Every day, I will take small steps toward my goal of writing a novel.

We need to stop seeing writing a book as a one-step process. We feel like we need a whole writing retreat or a week of coffee-shop writing or to quit our day jobs. You can start now, one step at a time.

[Tweet "Stop waiting for when or after to write your novel. Start now. @blotsandplots #writetip"]

No One Will Read My Book

Instead, Say: Finding an audience for my story will be an exciting step in my journey.

No one? No one, out of 7.3 billion people on Earth, will read your book? Even if your book doesn't sell, even if you have to keep your day job forever, I bet you can find one person who will not only read, but love, your book. When it comes to your book's audience, you only need a few, loyal readers. 

People Don't Want to Read Another Book About (BLANK)

Instead, Say: I have a fresh, new voice to bring to a familiar subject.

Vampires? Zombies? Romances? The fact is that all stories have been done before, in one way or another. It's what you bring to the text that separates your book from the rest. Don't be afraid to tackle a topic that's saturated in the market. Write what you enjoy writing.

I'll Never Write as Well as (BLANK)

Instead, Say: I want to write to the best of my abilities.

There's no better measure of success than yourself. Why? Because you can't be anyone else. Easy concept, hard to compute. The comparison game is an alluring one, but it's one we have to fight. Write as well as you can, for as long as you can, and watch where it takes you. 

It's Too Late to Start My Writing Career

Instead, Say: It's never too late to start my writing career.

Have you always wanted to write a book, but never got around to it? Why not start now? There's no wrong time to start your writing career, and saying it's too late is the fear talking. Grab a pen. Grab a notebook. Just write.

I Haven't Researched Enough To Write This Book

Instead, Say: I can't study everything, but I can apply what I've learned to my work.

There is such a thing as too much research. You can't know everything there is to know about The Middle Ages, okay? But, at the heart of every historical novel, there are real human connections. Now, that, you can write without any research at all. Don't let research keep you from getting your job done. 

I'll Never Get an Agent/Editor/Publishing Deal

Instead, Say: When the timing's right, I'll find the best publishing path for me.

So, you're afraid of rejection. That's completely natural. But when it comes to picking your publishing path, let's take the stress out of it. If you're rejected at first, try again. Be J.K. Rowling. If you really can't wait, take a look into self-publishing.

Are you thinking positively yet?

Discussion Time: What positive steps can you take to writing your novel today? Share your affirmations with us in the comments below! 

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Start Your Writing Career in Less Than Fifteen Minutes

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Happy Monday, writer ladies and gents. Are you looking to take your writing hobby to the next level? Are you ready to start your writing career? Today, I'm going to help you boost your writing game and help you embrace your new career, in less than fifteen minutes!

First of all, we should define writing career. Maybe you imagine James Patterson or Stephen King, the kind of writer who can afford to stay home and make a permanent income from their books. Maybe you imagine the write-by-night artist, the one who balances a day job with novel-writing.

Here's a definition I'd like to use: a writing career begins the moment you decide to take yourself seriously as a professional writer. A writing career is not defined by the quantity of books you've written, the amount of money you make or the number of readers you've gained. 

Excited, yet? Let's start your writing career in less than fifteen minutes...

Define Your Goals + Embrace Your Identity

estimated time: 5 minutes

To start off, I want you to imagine yourself as a writer. You are not an aspiring writer or a future novelist. You are a writer. There's something to be said about owning your title, and with that ownership comes a sense of pride and confidence. You can read more about this over here.

Once you've got that down, we need to define your goals. At this step, I want you to focus on your broad, long term goals. Ask yourself the following three questions and write down your responses:

1. What is my definition of literary success?

2. What am I willing to sacrifice to make more time for writing?

3. What am I most excited about my new writing career?

Now that you've defined your own vision for your writing career, we can begin the writing part of this process.

Brainstorm Your Next Project

estimated time: 7 minutes

If you're ready to start your writing career, then you are ready to start your first project. Maybe you're the kind of writer who has started and stopped novel after novel. Maybe you're the kind of writer who is scared to make the big leap into novel-writing. Maybe you're just plain stuck. Are you looking to start a novel? Be sure to check out this post next. 

More than likely, you're stuck in one of two camps. Camp one: You have one good idea that you can't make work. Camp two: You have too many ideas that you can't choose. First, let's take a few minutes to pick your path.

CAMP ONE

1. What do you like about your project idea?

2. What's keeping you from making it work?

3. Would you rather revive or abandon your project?

CAMP TWO

1. List your ideas down in bulleted form.

2. Circle the top three ideas that excite you the most.

3. Of the top three, which idea do you feel is the best suited for your style + time?

Remember, this project is not written in stone. Writing is a fluid art, and you never know where it may lead you. 

Get Writing, My Friend

estimated time: 2 1/2 minutes (we said less than 15, remember?)

For this last step, I'm going to give you a couple of options:

1. Start writing, right now. If you're feeling up to it, spend the next 2 1/2 minutes writing as fast as you can. I bet you can't stop yourself once you've started.

2. Build a writing schedule. Maybe you need organization to get your best work done. If that's the case, read this post on five ways to schedule your writing time.

And there you have it! Three steps to start your writing career in less than fifteen minutes. For more exclusive writing tips, be sure to join the mailing list. Sign up in the sidebar. 

Discussion Time: Where are you in your writing career? How can you use these tools to reach your goals?

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An Open Letter to My Book's Readers

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Dear reader,

You're looking lovely today. Your hair's doing that shiny thing and your eyes are brighter than normal people's eyes and maybe it's time I just compliment the heck out of you. Is that okay? Splendid.

Why do I want to compliment you? Well, I'm not trying to suck up, if that's what you're thinking. No. I pride myself on being honest and real with you. I want to compliment you because we're friends, and I think you deserve it. Sometimes we talk on Twitter, and I think you're really funny. Sometimes, we comment on each other's Instagram photos. We even blog together!

But what I like the most about our friendship is that we support each other. *cue the dramatic, let's-get-personal music*

I always knew that I wanted to write a book that you were going to like. Really, we were bound to find each other from the start. I wanted to write a book for the girl who feels awkward in the school hallway. For the mom who went to Twilight premieres and spent way too much time in Limited Too with her daughter. For the boy who would rather stay home to read than go out and drink with his friends. You, who has had your heart broken. You, who wants to fall in love. You, who would rather eat cake.

I put off writing this book for six years. If you read this page, you know that I've written version after bad version of These Are the Moments. There were so many points where I told myself, "You're just not good enough." Then, I stopped beating myself up. I started writing, instead. That's when I got bold and began sharing. And you made me feel brave. You told me to keep writing, so I did. You told me that you couldn't wait to read the rest, so I made sure you didn't have to.

You helped me finish my book in less than a year. Every time I posted a new scene or tweeted a new quote, you let me know that my words had value. If you didn't know then, I'll tell you now: that encouragement gave me the confidence boost to finish my story. You let me know that I was doing something right, and I'm one thousand percent grateful for that.

Something amazing happened along the way. These Are the Moments is a very personal book for me. There are real, true-to-life emotions tangled in fictional scenarios, and when you hand that kind of work over to the public, it can be scary. No, not scary. Petrifying. I asked myself questions like, "What if no one reads it? Or worse, what if they read it and hate it?" It reaches a point where you just have to close your eyes and let go.

That's when the really cool thing happened. (Quick Important Note: my book is about an on-again, off-again relationship.) People started reaching out to me. I would check my Twitter messages to find bubble after bubble of your stories and why These Are the Moments felt just like your story.

Thank you for that. Thank you for helping me see that books truly do belong to their readers. Thank you for not yelling at me when my book made you cry. Thank you for cheering me on. Thank you for sticking around.

Please keep sharing your stories. I promise to keep sharing mine.

Love + Confetti,

Jenny

First Novel Advice: Ten Writing Tips I Learned from Finishing a Novel

And it's Monday again, my friends. I hope you're fully caffeinated, because I've got a serious post for you today. Have you written a novel? If so, you know that there are some days when you look at all of those carefully chosen words and think: I really made this? Okay, that's every day.

But what about if you're not quite there yet? What if you're mid-novel, mid-chaos, mid-headache? Well, that was me just a few months ago. Staring at the screen. Thinking everything sounded terrible. Thinking I'd never actually finish. But miracle of miracles, I did. And you can too.

Here's some of my best first novel advice, in ten snapshots of learned lessons:

On Writing...

1. First Drafts are generally garbage. If you're one of those lucky few with a magical touch that turns words into gold, good for you. But since I wrote my whole first draft on paper, I could barely make out what I'd written. First drafts are where you want your mind to wander, explore and drift. It's okay to feel lost. You're probably going to change it all anyway.

2. You actually have to put words on paper. Sometimes, "writing" means staring into space, hopping on Twitter and talking about writing. This will get you nowhere. Setting a writing schedule allows you to maximize your time and gets you that much closer to completing your novel. And remember, free-writing is your best friend.

3. Characters don't always play nice. When I started writing These are the Moments, I thought I had a good grasp on who these characters were. But when I tried to force them into settings or plot lines, they usually veered off the path. Characters play by their own rules. It's your job to let them. Sentences like those are what make non-writers think we're crazy. 

On Editing…

4. Editing is the devil's greatest secret. You finish your first draft, and you're feeling pretty good. You have a book, mostly. You think you're awesome. And then you read it. The characters are all over the place. Plotholes the size of craters litter your manuscript. And you're this close to giving up. But then you read this article, and the world gets a little brighter.

5. Hire an Editor Friend. Editors are writers' greatest weapons, apart from erasers and naps. When I found Tanya Gold, I knew she and I were the perfect match. Not only was she excited to work with me, but she was excited about the work itself. This was a huge advantage for me, and it made working with her fun and beneficial. Learn how to find a freelance editor here.

6. Beta Readers, Beta Readers, Beta Readers. Maybe you're stuck between drafts. Maybe your characters are all wrong, your dialogue seems dry or you need help picking an ending. Don't stress! Find people you trust to give your manuscript a quick read. Here's how to find beta readers for your novel.

On (Self) Publishing...

7. Take your time. If you're looking for first novel advice, this is key. When it comes to publishing your own novel, take the time to do the research. What's an ISBN? Which platform should you use? How do you format an ebook for Kindle? All of these are answers you need to know. Debating on traditional vs. indie publishing? Here's a quick guide for you.

8. Build Your Author Platform. If a book publishes to no audience, is it really a book? (Yes, it is.) However, it helps to have a solid base to start. Learn how to connect with readers through social media, so that when the time comes to publish, your name is already out there. I started blogging over a year ago, and have grown my blog by writing a blog series, accepting guest posts and maximizing my SEO.

9. Marketing, Marketing and Marketing. This goes hand in hand with building your author platform, but remembering that you and your book are two products of a single brand is imperative. Developing your products and finding new ways to reach readers is crucial. What unique quality sets you apart from the crowd? Learn more about marketing for writers in this article.

And a bonus...

10. Writing is a calling, a habit and a passion. When I first started writing, it was a hobby. A way to tap into my very active imagination. But now, it's developed into so much more. Writing is something that I have to practice at in order to improve. Writing is often tedious and stressful, but fulfilling and exciting. If you're lucky enough to call yourself a writer, recognize your talent and appreciate it.

Discussion Time: What have you learned from writing a novel? What do you hope to learn? What do you know now that you wish you'd known when you started writing?

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