Writing is often called a solitary pursuit, yet none of us performs alone. It takes a supportive community including editors, proof readers, critique partners, and beta readers. Words don’t magically appear on the page to perfection, ready for publication.

Start at the Library

Libraries are filled with words and people who write them. When I retired to a new city, I found “writers” under the adult events tab on the local library’s website. The South Shore Scribes became my first critique partners, exchanging writing prompts and feedback. We learned about self-publishing, marketing and sales by compiling our own book of short stories.

Since libraries are public buildings, no one is turned away and not everyone wants the same thing out of the sessions. When I moved to a new city and the local group wasn’t a good fit, I corralled two like-minded members to form our own writing group.  I also checked nearby communities and found one that better matched my personality and efforts in a town just half an hour away.

Online Communities

I belong to the Gutsy Great Novelist Community, a fabulous online resource of learning and connections. Hope Clark belongs to it as well.

There are other online communities with varying levels of cost, commitment and quality, some with closed Facebook Groups or message boards. Through the GGNC site, I met two women with whom I’ve been zooming biweekly for three-and-a-half years. We have six and a half manuscripts and a published novel between us, and a memoir coming out next year.

Online organizations such as the Crime Writers of Canada, Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of Australia and others are a great way to connect with writers in your genre.

Retreats

There are numerous retreats offered by reputable writing coaches, agents and authors in exotic and intimate locales around the world, some combined with walking, wine, or museum tours. Gifted teacher and award-winning author, Joan Dempsey, hosts the annual Maine Writing Retreat, an intimate and intense week of craft sessions and coaching. The writer in residence is none other than the generous and inciteful author behind FundsforWriters, C Hope Clark. I’ve made lasting friends and writing buddies at this annual event.

My favourite podcast, The Shit No One Tells You About Writing, offers an online Deep Dive writing retreat, which encourages networking among participants, and has resulted in a trusted beta reader. Podcast host, award-winning author Bianca Marais, offers the Great Beta Reader Match Up. For a small fee, you can submit a writing sample and be matched up with writers in your genre and time zone. Now, every other Saturday morning, I exchange pages and advice with a fun bunch of writers, and we’re already talking about our next novels.

Classes and Conferences 

Learning opportunities, either online or in person, are another great way to meet your people. Reedsy, The Writer’s Workshop at Authors Publish, and Writers’ Digest offer courses and virtual conferences. Keep an eye on the chats and message boards. It was during a very reasonably priced class by the Manuscript Academy that I joined a group of fledging historical fiction writers. We now exchange pages, craft tips and research tools every other Wednesday night.

This has been my journey, and I hope it helps you find your community, but I have one final tip. Whenever you find yourself talking to another writer, ask, “What are you working on?”  At a seminar about an hour from my home, I found the woman sitting next to me also writing historical fiction set during the Russian revolution from the perspective of Mennonite colonists. Her great grandfather and my great grandmother arrived in Canada on the same day and on the same boat! An amazing co-incidence and another opportunity for a prospective critique partner.

Debra Whittall is a former broadcast journalist and civil servant. She lives in Belleville, Ontario with her husband and two disinterested cats, while juggling seven writing groups and critique partners.

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