On Finding a Community

By Lindsay Fortin

I had always thought of writing as a solitary activity. I read alone, I think alone, I write alone. But when I started to get serious about my writing, I found that I longed for people to talk to who shared my passion for language and storytelling. I tried lots of things before I found a group that worked for me — one where I felt like I truly had a community.

What’s the value in having a writing community?

I didn’t think that being part of writing circles would make much of a difference for me and my writing, and certainly not past nanowrimo. I drifted in and out of public writing groups on Facebook and occasional meetups with my local nanowrimo group, but didn’t have anything to anchor me. It wasn’t until a girl named Sheila posted in Tomi Adeyemi’s Facebook page for writers, The Write Place, about wanting to start a group chat that things began to change for me. I certainly wasn’t expecting to become friends with these people I’d never met. I found that not only was I enjoying being part of the community, but that I was also writing more often than I had before. After a while, this group of familiar names and faces cheering me on made me want to be accountable to myself about writing, to really give it my all. It provided new opportunities as well, since I was now connected with writers from all different backgrounds. I’ve done beta reads for people, gotten feedback on my own writing, and had the ability to ask writing related questions to a number of people at once, among many others. It’s really beneficial to have access to a group of people from all different backgrounds with all different kinds of identities. It’s opened my eyes to different perspectives, and I feel like I’m a better writer because of it. 

How do I find a writing community?

Well, there’s a few different ways you can do it. It also depends on what works best for you. I personally find being in new social situations with complete strangers difficult sometimes, so an online chat group seemed to be the best option. I still tried local groups and in-person meetings, and it was through experiencing different types of groups that I was able to figure out what worked best for me. Don’t be afraid to push yourself out of your comfort zone, though! You might surprise yourself.

Here are a few suggestions to help you find your community:

1. Find writing groups on Facebook (like Tomi Adeyemi’s group The Write Place)
2. Use social media! Look through tags like #writingcommunity on twitter, or post about searching for a community on instagram with #findmywritingcommunity hosted by Adrienne Young and Kristin Dwyer
3. Use meetup.com to look into local writing groups.
4. If you’re at a school or university, look for creative writing clubs. If you’re school doesn’t have one, look into starting one!
5. Similarly, if you’re in a position where you’re able to take creative writing classes, go for it! 
6. Look into your local Nanowrimo community. Through nanowrimo.org, you can set your home region and get updates from other writers in your area. You can also join forums and groups on their website. Lots of people participate in Camp Nano in April and July as well, so keep your eyes out for that! If you missed nanowrimo in November, all is not lost until the next November rolls around. 
7. I’ve personally made writing friends by making a point to mention that I’m a writer when I’m meeting new people and they ask what sorts of things I like to do. Don’t be shy about it! Mention that you love to write, and you might be surprised at who you find that way.  
8. And probably the most important tip I have for you… Put yourself out there! We wouldn’t be here if Sheila hadn’t posted in The Write Place about wanting to start a group chat. 

All this is to say: welcome to our little community! We’re so excited to begin sharing our experience and resources with you. Let us know in the comments how you’ve found your writing squad, or any helpful tips you might have.