Connecting With Other Writers

Let's be honest, writing can be a lonely business. You'll probably spend many hours sat at your desk, or wherever, researching and writing by yourself. Some people cope with this fine, others not so well. If you fall into the latter category, here are some ideas for connecting with other like-minded individuals.

Writers Retreats

A good way to get to know other writers is to think about attending writers' retreats. They are usually small and informal and give you time to write in the mornings, usually with a published author on hand for feedback and advice, with afternoons free for doing your own thing. They can be pricey, but you could make some really useful connections for the future and it's a mini-holiday too!

Literary Festivals and Seminars

These are great if you fancy getting out and about as there are, literally, hundreds to attend. This article lists details of some of the best literary shows in the UK. But take note, it was written last year, so please ignore the dates you see listed and click the links to the websites to find this year's dates. You should also check out your local university as they often offer free writing seminars - a great way to meet other writers and get some expert advice too!

Forums

Although this is not face-to-face contact, it's still a kind of contact. There are lots and lots of forums where writers can connect and chat. As well as allowing you to chat with other writers, forums also give you the chance to ask others to read and feedback on your writing and you can keep up with all the latest gossip in the writing world too.

Social Media

Google+, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter could become your best friends. You can join groups of other writers so you can chat about whatever is on your mind. You can also get general feedback about writing, different techniques, tips to help you stay motivated and so on. There are also groups for writers of specific genres, so you can converse with people doing exactly the same thing as you. For example, I am a member of the Crime Fiction Writers group and today I received an email detailing the following discussion currently taking place:

'If you are going to self-pub, who would you use? Who's the best? Who's the worst? Let it rip!!'

'Do you ever write about locations, methods, skills, etc. you haven't experienced yourself? How do you solve the research so that what you write is credible?'

Blogging

Keeping a blog is a good way to keep in touch with other writers. But, it does require commitment. You're going to have to post regularly and keep people coming back for more, so that means making it really interesting. It also needs to be well written, as it might be the first writing of yours the visitor has read and you want to make a good impression. So, take care to make sure you proofread anything you post properly before you send it out there into the digital universe.

That should keep you connected for a while and have fun meeting new people!