Writing can be one of the lonliest career fields. There you are–hour after hour, day after day, etc. working away in a room by yourself. Even in a public setting such as a coffee shop, we build walls around us that warn, “Don’t bother me! Writer at work!”
Writers are human too. They need connectivity, especially with like-minded writers. There are a several ways you can do this. The first is to join a local group of writers. These are often sponsored by bookstores and libraries. Just ask at the counter. Contacts with these may also lead to contacts with critique groups, although you need to be careful. Other credible sponsors are colleges and community colleges. Ask in the English departments. Some schools offer workshops such as the University of Iowa’s Writing Workshop and their MA degree. Kansas University’s famous Jim Gunn runs an excellent SciFi/Fantasy program.
Probably the most helpful ar the writers’ organizations for specific genre fiction. The following are links to some of these:
Author Organization links
Amazon Author and Writer Groups http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=13786431
Mystery Organizations:
http://www.mysterywriters.org/
http://www.sistersincrime.org/
Erotica Fiction:
http://www.erotica-readers.com/
Horror Fiction:
http://www.horror.org/
International Thrillers:
http://thrillerwriters.org/
Romance Fiction:
http://www.rwa.org/
Science Fiction and Fantasy:
http://www.sfwa.org/
Western Fiction:
http://www.westernwriters.org/
Historical Novels:
http://www.historicalnovelsociety.org/
Children’s Books:
http://www.scbwi.org/
If some of you host similar sites, please comment to let us know.
Finally, some very gracious popular authors provide pages for other writers who want help and assistance in their writing. My favorite is Orson Scott Card at http://www.hatrack.com .
Linking in with other writers interested in your genre can be very helpful. Oft times they will point out other resources and people with which to network. Don’t let loneliness get you down. Get out there and network with others.
This is a reprint from Bob Spear‘s Book Trends Blog.