Writing is a lonely act. We toil away with nothing between us and the words on the page.
That loneliness often leads writers to seek out communities and writing groups, which can be great or terrible, depending on the group.
Writing Groups
What often happens is that new writers find each other and try to work together toward their goals. But it’s the lost leading the lost, and often the best writers in the group are hurt the most. “Helpful” advice from the group ruins the best parts of their novel, not out of malice, but out of ignorance.
Many years ago, partway through my career, I joined a writers’ group. They were welcoming, but I was the only member who had published and had a steady stream of work. They couldn’t help me with my work, or were unwilling to do so. Instead, they asked me for advice and for introductions to people I had spent years finding and cultivating relationships with, and who paid my bills. That would be like asking for a personal recommendation to your boss to replace you. It’s not really done. It’s what made me leave the group.
The biggest problem with most writing groups is that they don’t have any experience. They don’t understand what works and what doesn’t. Or how to explain why something isn’t working or in a way that helps others in the group move forward.
But groups are only one avenue to learn.
Book Learning
Most introverted writers shun a group approach and turn to books instead. They think they can learn their way out of stagnation and struggle. But there is a huge divide between knowing something and being able to do it.
Would you get on a plane with a pilot who had never flown before, but had read everything about how to fly a plane? What about trusting a surgeon who did the studies but had never touched a patient before? No, you wouldn’t. That would be insane.
But no one questions this approach when it comes to writing. Surely, if you understand how something works, you will be able to do it. Right?
Not so much.
If it were that easy, we’d all be able to put Ikea furniture together on the first attempt with no frustration or random parts left over at the end.
Doing demands different abilities than knowing.
Get Expert Help
Skills and knowledge are not the same thing.
That’s why getting help from someone who has been there helps. Whether that means taking a formal class or joining a cohort or a mentored group, it helps to have someone act as a guide and resource. It’s even better if they encourage you to develop your skills along the way, not just take in the information and assume that’s enough.
It’s not.
Avoiding Wasted Time
I’ve seen people spend decades trying to make that method work only to keep failing. They end up with unfinished stories sitting in a drawer and a backlog of wasted hours with little to show for them.
Don’t let that be you. You deserve better than that. And the world deserves to hear the story you have inside you.
I am opening a live cohort later this summer to help you develop the skills you need to get your story moving. The cohort will include lessons, exercises, and feedback. It is limited to 15 people for maximum attention. If you join the waitlist before I launch later this month, you will get a bonus one-hour 1:1 live session with me (worth $250).
There is no obligation to join from the waitlist, but it is the only way to snag that bonus. You can sign up here.
Even if you don’t sign up for my cohort, find a course, cohort, or group led by a professional who can teach you the skills needed and help you hone them through practice and feedback. It’s the best way to improve and finally write that story that’s stuck in your head, demanding release.