Writing Communities vs Lone Rangers
Are you part of a writing group where you regularly share your work with others? Or, do you write alone hoping that your writing will naturally be found by readers?
I’ve been writing for years — but for an audience of one — for myself. My personal blog has been live so long I cannot even remember when I started it; and it wasn’t the first one that I have had in the digital universe.
Until recently, I actually balked at the idea of knowing that other people might read my words. I know, that does not make much sense if I have knowingly made my blogs available online. You see, I was writing alone and felt that if my words were meant to reach someone out there, they would naturally find me and my reader base would organically grow. For the most part, this has happened. In fact, there are people who read my blog whom I don’t even know — and I’m totally thrilled with that.
On the other hand, I am now embarking on actually writing a novel. Plus, I plan to write more than one. This means, then, I need to make a more proactive attempt to share my work with purpose to get feedback so that eventually the masses will read my novel(s).
With that goal in mind, I joined a writing group. It’s not a free group, though. So, I have started to contemplate how money blurs the lines of support group and paid feedback. Does the presence of money belong in the process of writing and writing groups?
At the moment, I still don’t have an answer as my previous lone ranger approach has removed me from knowing what is ‘normal’ and I cannot ask the writing community I was a part of because that is where the question arose from.
My gut says that while I understand that the provision of a writing group space takes time and effort, there is something amiss when money enters the picture. It feels somehow strange to pay for readers or support as I go through the writing process. The money doesn’t guarantee an agent, editor or publication at the end of the process. Therefore, I find myself questioning what the money is meant to buy, and do I really need to pay for readers and support from fellow writers?
If you, reader, have any thoughts on this, I would love to hear of them in the comments!
Should we pay for supporting, encouraging and inspiring fellow current or aspiring writers to open 📖 the sunshine ☀️ into your hearts ❤️ through the stories📚 we all have to tell?
