I still remember when I took my first creative writing course in undergrad and the terror I felt when I learned about workshop and that we’d be doing this in class. Other people would read what I wrote. For the first time. Ever. In my life. And then talk about it in front of me.
I don’t think that I slept the night before that first workshop. Or maybe even the night after. It didn’t go…all that great. But rightly so. It was an awful story. I know that now. But back then, I’d never gotten any feedback from anyone – and my writing back then certainly suffered for it. (This was also the first writing course I’d ever had – and I had a lot to learn.)
I had a few more creative writing courses throughout undergrad, and there was the making of a community there – one I still look back on fondly. To this day, I still hold these opinions in high regard, and I appreciate that despite the dumpster fire that is social media, these platforms have allowed me to continue watching their writing careers unfold. (If you are looking for such a community, I recommend checking out the local college to see what sort of writing courses they offer.)
Grad school was a whole other beast. Most of the classes were workshops, and I continued to learn not only from my professors, but my classmates, as well.
And then… the discovery of how difficult it is to create that same sort of community without the built-in structure of college workshops.
This is incidentally how my bestie and I became besties – she was actually my boss at my first post-grad-school job, and we connected over books. I missed getting to read and discuss stories, so we started reading series together and talking about them before work. (We just happened to pick out two terrible series to read back to back and spent our mornings before work griping about them.)
Once I found a job teaching, both my reading and writing fell by the wayside as I tried to get my feet under me. Then came the grading. And on and on. Too many years where I didn’t allow myself to take these things seriously, to make them a priority. (Which is why my number one piece of advice to any young writer is to allow yourself to take your writing seriously – even if no one else around you does. In other words, the thing I wish someone had said to me.)
I accidentally stumbled into my writing buddy – another faulty member where I teach (though he teaches math) who also happened to be a writer. We connected, became friends, and then started sharing our writing with one another. Cut to eight-ish years later, and we talk about each other’s characters as if they are living breathing people walking around with us. (This is my second piece of advice for young (or established) writers – find that person and hang on to them. Your writing will be better for it. I would certainly not be sitting here with one book out in the world, a second with a publisher, and a third with an editor…I’d still be trying to figure out that first one.)
These two things happened organically, so I don’t have a path to offer – just a note to keep an eye out. These folks can show up anywhere.
I still fully support the idea of a writing community – a workshop, a writing group, however it works best for you. (I’ve since found my own such groups – one global online writing community and a smaller mastermind group.) But I cannot speak highly enough of the writing buddy relationship. The most important part, though, is making sure said writing buddy can be fully honest with you and your writing. If you build the trust, it won’t hurt when they provide constructive criticism – it’ll feel like a hug because they are championing your characters as hard as you are and just want to see you and your story succeed.
Now if only there were an app to help connect writers who want to create such groups or friendships.
Ami Maxine 