In the past two years I've taken eight online writing courses. I've spent thousands of dollars. I've written a dozen essays and three-quarters of a novel.
And I've made friends. Most of whom I've never met.
Not sure that means I paid for my friendships or if they were a perk of my writing habit.
I'm going with the latter.
Does your circle of friends include writers? Do you feel the need to know writers? Where do your connections come from -- a library? A writing group? The internet?
I need to connect with writers. Daily. And since I don't know any IRL (in real life) the world wide web has afforded me the opportunity to develop not only friends but to gain teachers and mentors who have impacted my life.
Writing used to be a solitary lifestyle. I am often alone in my house, on my chair, behind by desk, staring at my laptop monitor. But I a rarely without the ability to connect with another writer. Email, blogs, websites, classes. Feedback or not, talking words, grammar, sentence structure, plot, dialogue or the weather. Doesn't matter.
What matters -- is that writing matters to us.
Where did you meet your writer-friends?
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
In The Company of Strangers
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4 comments:
I actually don't have any writer friends IRL. I see the girls who have been in my writing classes at school. I respect them, occasionally share a hello, but certainly not any kind of relationship.
I'm not sure if I need that, beyond, of course, the workshop experience of feedback and lots of reading of others' work. I guess the only way to find out is to try.
I haven't attended any writing classes, but I am a member of two Critique Groups for Historical Fiction Writers. I'm almost finished Novel No 4 [2 published so far] and wouldn't consider anything I write complete until they have critiqued it. They take no prisoners, if I write rubbish they'll tell me, but they are quick to give compliments too. I've learned so much from them and hopefully, I've passed on what I've learned too.
It's amazing how we all think similarly - and in a way my family haven't a clue about. I mystify them completely!
Facebook, I've met tons of writers through the various Group's. One of the best is the Future Writers, Current Slackers group.
Kaylee
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Check out my online novels at http://www.illumitas.net/books/KayleeMason
I met my writer friends through a literary group way back college but now I am delighted to know more writers online and learn from them as well.Great post!
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