Writers are a supportive family. Engage with it.
Humans are social creatures. Some more than others (I can safely attest to that). Regardless, it’s important to engage with other writers and making connections. You don’t have to do it every day or to a point to where it drains you. But always do it in a way that feels right to you. Engagement should feel exciting, fun, and satisfy your curiosity.
Writing can be hard and many of us know this, but that doesn’t mean you’re all alone. Writing is a massive community and there’s so much we can learn from one another.
Reason #1: You can learn so much more
There’s so much knowledge out there. So many blogs, How-To videos, and things to learn to improve your writing. More than we could ever learn on our own.
One way to expedite your learning can be to engage with fellow writers. Don’t just read their blog or books. Actually have a conversation with them. Whether in-person or online. You might discover one piece of knowledge that can change your life for the better. (Or a simple tweak that can make your writing clearer or give you your next great idea.)
Reason #2: You have value to bring to the world, so bring it.
I genuinely believe that each and everyone of us, has something to contribute to the world. Hopefully for the better. It doesn’t have to be the world-at-large. It could be as simple as the person sitting next to you.
Have you ever held the door open for someone? It usually feels pretty good. Providing someone with the value you hold can easily multiply that feeling by 10 or 100 or more.
Reason #3: It’s fun and supportive
If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you saw this one coming.
Writing can sometimes feel like a scary thing to do for many. But writers themselves are some of the most supportive people out there. When two like-minded individuals connect, anything can happen. You might become pleasantly surprised.
A simple text exchange can eventually turn into a lifelong friendship, a mentor, a co-writer, or even a fan. Who knows?
Like Medium, many writers are also on Twitter. To this point, I recently made a Twitter account (@jeffaybar) (a little late to the party I know, lol) and am looking for my writing family. If you’re a writer, old, young, weird, newly minted, experienced or anywhere in between, I’d love to connect with you. Let’s learn, share, and grow together. We are writers. And we are family.
(At the expense of sounding like a mob boss… family takes care of family, lol.)
Thank you for reading. If you found this helpful and would like to learn more about writing, igniting your creative spark, or simply want to connect, the best place to find me is on my website, jeffaybar.com. Reach out anytime.
Jeff Aybar is a writer, writing & creativity coach, Sci-Fi/Fantasy nerd, INFJ, veteran, and lover of all things creative. You can get a free copy of his guide for writers and artists on starting the creative journey by signing up to his newsletter HERE.