On this blog last week, I related an unpleasant experience I had with a local author, and many of you shared similar experiences. However, I think authors run across more support than rejection with other writers, so I decided I would use my blog to bring balance to this discussion by sharing all the good things other writers have done for me. Some of these are specific interactions; others are more general and where we all may find information and help.

 

Writing and Critique Groups

I have been a member of several writers’ groups and helped to establish one. When writers come together to share their work, they can do so in numerous ways from groups with a leader to those without one.  The woman with whom I formed the writers’ group in Florida became my critique partner. We are now good friends. Membership in a writers’ group provided me with two important factors in my writing career. First, they are a place where the writing endeavor can be shared with like-minded others, a place where writer is an inclusive designation. Such groups are for learning and for honing the craft. Perhaps more important, individuals in the group often provide a writer with encouragement in times when it seems no one is interested in what you are writing.

 

Writers’ Organizations

Some of these organizations have local chapters which may meet monthly or even more often. The meeting usually provide one-on-one contact among members and a session featuring an invited speaker or panel discussing some aspect of the writing life such as finding an agent, marketing your work, author appearances and other topics. Mystery Writers of America Florida Chapter holds monthly luncheon meetings at which a professional speaks on various writing topics. The meetings provide the attendees with the best of both worlds: socialization before the formal meeting begins and information from a speaker. It was here in this community of professionals that my husband and I first felt like real writers both because we learned from the speakers and because we were treated like writers by the members.

The Florida Chapter of MWA also sponsors Sleuthfest, a conference for writers usually held in February. This is the place for the budding writer to find experts in all fields of the mystery genre from forensics to copy mysteries. What the writer doesn’t learn during the formal sessions can be found in the one-on-one interactions over food and during the cocktail hour. One of the best ways to meet others is to volunteer for one of the many jobs necessary to holding this get together. My husband and I worked the registration table for many years, so we met most of the attendees, if only for a few moments. It’s the first contact people have with the conference so making registrants feel welcome is part of volunteering and, of course, treating the volunteers well is part of your job as an attendee.

 

On-line organizations

I recommend joining writing organizations such as Sisters in Crime and their unpublished subgroup Guppies because they provide numerous significant sources for writing including a digest for members as well as online newsletters. The digests allow members to ask questions about writing. In depth classes on topics such as plotting, character development, first chapters, writing synopses and query letters, to name just a few, are conducted through the internet at a small cost. Last summer I took a course in forensic psychology and found it helpful to my writing, and to my understanding of criminal pathology. Guppies also offers a manuscript exchange with other writers. I exchanged an entire work with another writer years ago, and we still stay in touch. There’s also a fantasy agent program in which published authors critique 30 pages of an unpublished manuscript. This is an opportunity for an author to provide important feedback on a manuscript and for the writer to use the information to help improve the work. Fantasy agent is the kind of detailed feedback a writer would like to get from an agent, but almost never does.

 

One-on-One

Nothing beats being able to talk to another writer in person. Sometimes this is done informally in a chat over coffee or lunch or it can be structured such as in a writing group or with a critique partner. Sometimes formalized interactions begun at a distance can become writing friendships. Writers should stay open to this possibility. For example, one of the publishers I worked with had a digest where their writers could interact on line. These authors were supportive contacts for one another. As the small publishing house began to experience business issues, many of the writers continued to interact with one another on that digest. Some of us have become what I like to call “writer friends.” We’ve never met in person, but we consider ourselves more than writing acquaintances. Through them I also made contact with other writers which I can count on for writing interaction and support.

I don’t remember how one author and I made contact, but she was a whiz at marketing and has published books in that area. She was a marketing mentor for me, and we emailed back and forth information on internet advertising and selling. And here’s a shock in this age of social media: she called me on the phone to talk about marketing. That is truly support from another author.

 

Against this backdrop of encouragement and support from others in our professions, my experience last week with someone who was competitive and rejecting is only worth mentioning as something none of us wants to do when we meet one of our own.

I’m certain many of you made contact in various ways with authors who made you feel you wanted to buy their books or who you felt helped your writing career. I’ve only scratched the surface. I encourage you to share those experiences by commenting on this blog. Or, if you have additional thoughts on being supportive of authors, please get in touch with me through this website, and I’ll schedule you as a guest blogger. I think this is a topic worth more discussion. I know how I felt when I began writing and wanted someone to lend me an ear. With so many books out there, it’s tempting to see yourself in competition with others, but I think we can afford to be generous of our time and our knowledge