| "body"> | | | | and guidance. For where to take classes, and from |
| Are you working alone at a computer? Do you face | | | | who, check your local community college, craiglist.org, |
| the blank screen or page on a regular basis? If you | | | | or community bulletin boards. Many private teachers |
| answered yes, then you are not alone. The community | | | | teach small classes. If you're not sure the teacher or |
| of writers spreads out across the world, each of us | | | | the class will be a good fit, ask to speak to the |
| working on our creative endeavors, facing our own | | | | teacher ahead of time. |
| inner demons: doubt, fear, worry, the urge to check | | | | Writers' Conferences |
| email, the need to eat, and yes, the infernal deadline. | | | | I highly recommend writers conferences. There's |
| Whatever demon you face, you are not the only one. | | | | nothing like the tremendous power of being able to |
| Yes, we're writers, a community of solitaries. And | | | | meet agents, editors, and best-selling authors who are |
| when we're not writing, where do we find our creative | | | | pros at both the writing and the promoting, and take |
| community? Be a part of a writers community! Be it an | | | | workshops designed to help you advance your writing, |
| informal writers groups, writers associations, writers' | | | | your career or both, within the space of a few days. |
| classes and conferences, writers' email loops or the | | | | For writers conferences, check out Poets & |
| local café, or all of the above. | | | | Writers, Writers Digest, and The Writer. |
| Informal Writers Groups | | | | Writers' Email Loops |
| Ask any writer you know and they may belong to a | | | | Writers' email loops exist for many writing genres and |
| group of other writers who gather on a regular basis, | | | | sub-genres. Yahoo and Google host many email loops |
| either to write, to critique each other's writing, or to | | | | and are fairly searchable. If you have trouble finding a |
| kvetch. To find an informal writers group, ask at your | | | | loop that suits your particular writing needs, ask writers |
| local library, check the bulletin boards at your local | | | | who write in the genre you want to be a part of to |
| coffee shop or grocery store, or search craigslist.org. | | | | see what loops they participate in and like. |
| Writers' Associations | | | | The Local Café |
| Writers' associations offer community, where writers | | | | If you have one, the local café is a great place |
| congregate to support each other on their path to | | | | to be alone with our thoughts, our stories, and still be |
| publication. They also facilitate that necessary triad for | | | | around others, and provides a welcome change to the |
| learning: 1)you, the writer, 2)a person to learn from, and | | | | routine of being alone at your desk. I often write my |
| 3)another person to teach. Here are a list of many | | | | first drafts in cafes. |
| writers' associations: | | | | We are Alone Together |
| - The Authors Guild | | | | To manifest a career as a writer, to even get a book |
| - Broad Universe | | | | completed, it takes a writing village. And though we as |
| - International Thriller Writers, Inc. | | | | writers live in isolation from community to comment on |
| - National Association of Women Writers | | | | it, we need community of like-minded creatives for |
| Writing Classes | | | | support, guidance, feedback, and energy exchange. |
| Writing classes offer community, instruction, support | | | | |