We might have big ideas and exciting plots to explore, but many of us, especially if we're new here, don't have anyone to share it with. Our family and friends may not be supportive, and even if they are, it can be hard for them to grasp what we're trying to do, and even harder for them to become invested in something that mostly lives inside our minds for such a long time. Welcome to the Write It Scared podcast. I'm your host, Stacey Fraser, a formerly repressed creative soul, turned fiction writer, story editor, and author accelerator certified fiction book coach. At Write It Scared, we tell the truth about why writing a novel is so hard by acknowledging that most writers grapple with two stories. The one they want to put on the page to the best of their ability, and the often subconscious internal story that prevents them from doing it. This show is designed to help you identify and rewrite the internal narrative holding you back while you discover and write the story you want to tell and learn all the tools to help you do that successfully. Join me each week for a new episode where we'll talk about writing to deepen our understanding of the craft and of ourselves as writers. Writing a novel is an inside job that we do not do alone. Welcome to Reddit Scared. I'm glad you're here. Let's dive in. Hi, writer. Welcome back to another episode of the Red It's Cared podcast where we talk about the brave and messy business of writing our novels so that we can do it with more confidence and more clarity and not feel so damn alone. Today is a solo episode, and we're going to talk about how to find a writing community that works for you and the goals you have for your writing. So even when we have dozens of characters dancing in our heads, the writing business can get pretty lonely. We might have big ideas and exciting plots to explore, but many of us, especially if we're new here, don't have anyone to share it with. Our family and friends may not be supportive. And even if they are, it can be hard for them to grasp what we're trying to do, and even harder for them to become invested in something that mostly lives inside our minds for such a long time. Usually there's going to come a time in every writer's life when they crave being part of a community of like-minded individuals, and they hope that they can also improve their craft by doing so. Humans instinctively desire to be seen and valued as a part of a group to belong. Now, this isn't true for everybody, of course, it's not a blanket statement. There are outliers, sure. And if that is you, go forth, fly free, my friend. But if you are looking for a writing community, I wholeheartedly encourage you to find your people because the benefits far outweigh the cost. And here are just a few of the benefits of joining a writing community that works for you. It will provide you with a sense of belonging and social connection. So you're more likely to stay motivated to achieve your goals. You'll overcome the hard times, you know, through camaraderie, and you'll have people to celebrate the good. Writing communities are also a great place to share knowledge and pool resources. So the entire group benefits from collective wisdom and the experiences that everyone goes through, and that helps everyone grow. Being a part of a healthy writing community is good for your mental and emotional well-being. Being a part of, as opposed to apart from, creates a sense of purpose and contributes to lower stress levels and increased happiness. When communities bring people together with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences, it promotes understanding and inclusion. And exposure to different viewpoints broadens our horizons as individuals. And that contributes to a more open-minded and empathetic society. So, what do you want to think about when you're looking for a writing group or a writing community? One of the first questions I would ask you to consider is what are you looking for? Do you want more of an accountability and support group, or do you want a critique group? Or both. So many of us, my past self included, think that we need all the things right now. We want the accountability, we want the support, and we want others to read our work and help make it stronger. And that's fine. But I caution you, if you are a new writer still finding your voice and deciding what type of stories you're drawn to write, have patience when sharing and asking for critique on your freshly written words. As a new writer, and I have been there, as a new writer who just created something that didn't exist before, there is a natural desire to want to share it and have others celebrate in our excitement. And this excitement can turn into us saying, as I did to a fellow writer in a Facebook group who I really didn't know, what do you think? And what happened to me is that they told me, and not in a nice way either. It hurt. And I wasn't ready to hear the feedback that they had to give me. So many new writers think they want critique when actually what they want is encouragement and praise. And there is nothing wrong with that. I'm just gonna repeat that again. There is nothing wrong with wanting encouragement and praise, especially if you're writing your first draft, if this is your first book, you're just in the development stages. That's what I wanted back then. But it wasn't what I asked for. And I wasn't specific because I just didn't know how to be back then. So again, my advice is to have patience. Share that you wrote something that makes you happy, but consider keeping those words behind closed doors until you're in a place to accept what might not be a glowing review. And when you're ready for that feedback, be specific about what you want commentary on. And it's just a learning process and it just takes time. And you get better and better at reaching out for feedback and accepting it and using discernment as to how you're gonna go about applying it. If you're a brand new writer, consider a community that simply offers support and accountability to help you build your writing habits as you learn the ins and outs of writing. And if you want critique, go slow. Start with maybe one or two critique partners to avoid overwhelm. Try to find a writer with a bit more experience in you to give you feedback or work with a compassionate professional like a book coach who understands your needs. Be specific about what you want your critique partner to comment on. And that can be hard because when we come in and we're new, we just don't know what we don't know. And that is where I would recommend working with a professional book coach. And then you need to be willing to accept what they offer with a spirit of openness and discernment. The next thing to consider is are you a large or small group type of person? And you may know this about yourself, or you might need to feel it out. And a good way to test the water is to ask if you like talking to a lot of people at parties. Or do you kind of prefer chatting with a few people that you just know well? I am the latter. I just prefer chatting with a few people that I know well. I like smaller, more intimate settings where I get to know people slowly and well over time. So forums and big discussion boards and huge Slack channels or Discord groups, they stress me out. The next thing to consider is what are the expectations of the group? How often do they meet? And do you have the capacity to participate fully and give back? What happens if you can't meet those expectations or obligations of the group? I mean, these questions are obvious, but groups are about relationships, and those always have a better chance of success if the expectations are clearly stated right up front. So my general advice for finding and being part of a writing community is to align yourself with folks who are writing in a similar vein as you, or at least they're at a similar stage, be with drafting writers or be with revising writers. Always be kind, respectful, and curious about other writers. There's nothing wrong asking questions about how others do this or that. It's a great way to start conversations. And yes, talking to folks we don't know might take us out of our comfort zone. But as I said, writers generally want each other to succeed and are happy to share their knowledge. Choose critique groups and partners wisely by making sure they're fans of your genre, understand where you are as a writer and can articulate why they think something isn't working. And finding the right critique groups and the right critique partners can be a trial and error process. And of course, accept that personalities and egos will emerge, and that can be problematic. You'll have to set boundaries, and sometimes it won't work out. We're human, we err, move on with grace when you need to. So, where can you look to find a writing group or a community? Well, professional organizations are a great place to start if you know the genre you're writing in. See if there are any professional writing associations in your vein and what options they have. You'll definitely find people who are serious about what they do and are usually more than happy to help. Some of these organizations may require you to pay to be a part of it, but not all of them. And often these organizations have local chapters that you can link up with too. Libraries, bookstores, and community centers are excellent resources, especially your librarian. They will definitely be in the know if there is a writing group afoot. And don't discount your local coffee shop owners or the folks at your favorite bookstores. These people just know things. Go where the writers are. That means books, stationery, and coffee. Or tea. Online writing communities, there is a host of them out there in all different flavors. Many have online forums, discussion boards, if that's your thing. And most come with a plethora of writing resources. And I will link to several of them in the show notes. Writing conferences is another great option if you're up for networking. These can be spindy, but they are a fantastic way to take classes and meet your peers. The only drawback is if you're highly introverted, you will have to talk to people, which is hard for many of us, myself included. And then social media, there's no doubt about it. Writers are on social media. If you plan on publishing, being on social media is kind of part of the job these days. I began in Facebook groups. There's a ton of them out there. I got to know a few people, and eventually we formed a small but mighty group of four, and we are still together to this day. And another excellent resource is book coaches who offer group coaching options. Many book coaches, like myself, offer grouped coaching options. And these are usually small groups, a handful of writers that work with one coach in a community for a specific purpose, like accountability or story development, drafting or revision. These are great opportunities because the coaches lead the group and ensure that there is a sense of community safety and support. Plus, you have the bonus of learning from an industry expert. And in my group, you also have the opportunity to get editorial feedback. And I don't have writers swap pages. So there's no workshopping, but there is still accountability and there is a guided structural learning environment. As a writer, personally, I have enjoyed every group coaching experience I've ever participated in. I highly recommend it for any writer. As long as there is a very strong and safe container and someone to hold that. So today it's definitely a privilege for me to offer that type of safe supportive container back to my writing community. And my small group book coaching program for writers who are in story development or in need of drafting support is going to open back up in the fall of 2025. We will start in September and the cohort will run to the first week of December. So if you are interested in joining the next cohort, I will drop a link in the show notes for you to check that out. So there are challenges, of course, of being part of a writing community. I mean, one size isn't going to fit all. You're going to need to experiment and find what's right for you, which is going to take some time. And then there's the people part. People are complex and can be challenging. And price often is a barrier too. I mean, good experiences that help us grow often cost money. Not always, but if you are serious about writing, at some point you'll have to invest in your development as a writer. And groups can, if it is a critique group, there can be varying feedback. Everyone's going to have an opinion. Asking for too many opinions at once is often overwhelming. So beware of the revising to make everyone happy trap, because it's impossible. So despite there being challenges to finding a writing community, it is well worth it. Having a community of folks with similar goals and struggles as you, supporting each other, laughing, and even crying together are some of the many bright spots in this writing life. And I believe it's something that no writer should do without. It might take you some time to find the right groove, but if you're willing to be patient and ask questions and give as much as you get and take a little risk by connecting, you will find the place and the people that you'll call your writing home. Okay, writer, thanks for tuning in today. Again, if you're interested in small group book coaching with me and Write It Scared, we're going to start our cohort in September of 2025. And the enrollment is open now. Space is limited to six writers per cohort. So if you're interested, I would fill out the interest form now. And you can find all those details in the show notes, or you can go to my website, writeitscared.co forward slash group coaching. And I will see you next week, and we'll be back with a new guest who's going to talk to us about her new middle grade fantasy novel. Thank you for listening to the Ride It's Scared podcast. If you enjoyed today's show, please make sure to hit the follow button so you never miss an episode. And please leave a review. Reviews help other writers like you find the voices and messages they need to hear to continue to write their stories. Let's lift each other up. Remember, you can be scared and still be unstoppable. I'll see you next week.