Writing can be a solitary endeavor, and a lot of writers don’t even know that they’re missing the important element of a writing community. Write lonely no more—there are tangible benefits to being part of a writing community, and now joining one is easier than ever.

Writing Community Benefits

Writing community has many benefits. In no particular order, they are listed here:

• Writing critique—a necessary piece of your writing strategy, because we can never be truly objective with our own writing.

• A cure for writer’s block—bounce your ideas off of other creatives, and be inspired by their energy!

• Lifelong friends—some of the most enduring friendships I’ve witnessed have come from a common interest, like creative writing.

• Tips and tricks—you can learn from writers who are further along on their journeys.

• Sanity—writing can be lonely and it’s easy to get stuck.

• Perspective—in today’s market, we need to approach our writing with empathy and emotional intelligence. By mixing with writers we never would’ve ordinarily met, we can broaden our own perspectives and ability to inhabit diverse characters who are different from us.

Find Your Tribe

Whether you want to meet an in-person critique partner or an online writing partner (and maybe a lifelong friend), a great place to start is the Crit Collective writing forum, a free resource for connecting writers for the purpose of critique.

(Note: Crit Collective has since integrated with the Good Story Membership.)