No matter how much support you get from friends and family when you set out on your journey to become a writer, it is still a lonely experience. The best-intentioned of relatives is simply not going to understand when you want to discuss issues like how to fill in back story, or how to increase the levels of conflict between your hero and heroine.
This is why it is vitally important that writers find (or build) themselves a community. Whether it is a formal organisation, an online crit group, a few writing friends who meet regularly, or joining a web-based discussion forum, I highly recommend getting yourself a support system of other writers.
For me, my writing friends have become so much more than crit partners. They are my soul sisters, my own personal cheerleading squad and my hardest taskmasters. Without them, I would probably not have finished an entire novel. They set an example of what could be done (Liesl, you know what a star you are!) and pushed me to keep going.
Thanks to all my wonderful crit partners, past, present and future ...
I second that Romy! Crit Partners are the best of the best. :-)
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right,Romy. I don't know what I would do without all the great advice on the internet and the ability to make friends all over the world.
ReplyDeleteMy family don't 'get' my writing at all so it is lovely to *meet* people who do.
I so need to get myself a crit partner...but I'm too much of a wuss to show anyone my work (subbing to anonymous editors is okay though, for some reason).
ReplyDeleteAgree with Joanne, the internet's great. It's my lifeline to other writers.
:-)