Tuesday's Inspiration - The Company of Peers

Writing is such a solitary occupation. Wandering in the world of the imagination can sometimes be depressing. What every writer needs is a company of peers. Other writers who share the same goals. Finding them can be both difficult and hard. There are writer's organizations but often they are casts of thousands where the general is the norm. Often these groups have conferences and retreats. There are writer's workshops to perhaps visit and maybe find those who are akin to you and your style. The internet has brought ways for writers to come together and share their loneliness with others who feel equally lonely. What happens when you find such a group? Maybe nothing but often a lot.

Some writers depend on friends or relatives to help push them forward in their writing. Problem is friends and relatives aren't looking for the same things as other writers would. Sometimes they praise when there are problems only another writer can see.

I've noticed one phenomena in belonging to a group. If the group is interested really interested in seeing the flaws and being honest about pointing them out, the writers in the group will improve. Not all members though. Some choose to belong to a group that critiques only because they want praise for how wonderful their writing is. When a flaw is pointed out they feel as if they're being dissed. Writers need thick skins, very thick skins to deal with the rejection of strangers for that is what editors and readers are. So find a group and listen to what they say. A group of peers can point out flaws in the plot, inconsistencies in character development, the absence of setting and a dozen things, They can also give you the lift when you receive a bad review or a rejection. They are there to celebrate victories with you.