This post idea has been on my mind for a while. There are so many good things about the writing community. But, like anything, it has its downsides…
I don’t want to be super negative in this post. That’s not my goal. I just hope that I can bring some light to a few small issues so that maybe people will change and we can make this great community even better!
Pros
01. Encouragement
Writing is hard, right? And sometimes non-writer friends and family members just don’t quite get it. Maybe they have no clue what writer’s block is or what it means when your characters aren’t talking to you. The writing community is such a great place to turn to when you need encouragement. Because there are people there that just get you. They get what you’re going through and can sympathize.
02. Bookish friends
For the most part, writers are major readers (and should be!). Connecting with other booknerds is so thrilling, and there’s something just a little more special about meeting readers who are writers. Who doesn’t like picking apart and analyzing the plots of popular novels?
03. Feedback on your writing
This is so invaluable! Feedback can be hard to take, but helps us grow into better writers and refine our craft. You can find non-writer people to read your work but a writer will better be able to analyze your work a big deeper.
04. Like-minded friends
When I joined the community of Kingdom Pen, and then later Story Embers, I found a jackpot of like-minded writers. Writers that, like me, wanted to glorify God with their stories and craft a higher quality of fiction. I grew so much being surrounded by these awesome people!
Cons
01. Sometimes too critical
Not so much in the communities I’m in, but there can be too much criticism. Or maybe, too harsh. Sometimes criticism is given when it’s not asked for, causing the writer receiving it to doubt themselves.
02. The comparison trap
So common in this world, and the writing world is no exception. It’s so easy to compare our writing with someone else’s, or see someone else get their book published while you’re still trying to finish a first draft.
03. Too much self-criticism
Writers talk badly about their writing a lot. To me, this is closely connected with con 02. We need more positivity about our work, and remember to look back and see how much we’ve grown. Chances are, your writing is a lot better than you think.
04. Not enough celebration
Celebrating when you started writing is an uncommon thing. Hobbies you are passionate about should be celebrated! Even little things like finishing a chapter, figuring out a plot hole solution, and discovering a new element of your story can be celebrated. You don’t necessarily need to throw a big party. Just some chocolate will do. 😉
So there are your four pros and cons of the writing community. There are so many more pros though, and I am so thankful for this awesome group of storytellers. Hopefully, by listing these cons, we can all work together to make this community even better and build each other up. Even just one person can make a positive difference. 🙂
The Writer to Author blog series…
In case you missed it…
I mentioned a little while ago about a new blog series for writers wanting to start treating writing like a business and set themselves up for success in publishing. In case you missed it, below is the link to the survey so you can add your input on what this series will talk about. I can’t wait to receive your feedback!
Write to Author Blog Series Survey
Another quick note: this blog series will be accessible by password only. Email subscribers automatically get sent the access code (NOT WordPress Reader subscribers, unfortunately). So If you’re excited about this series and want to gain access, then CLICK HERE to get the password!
NaNoWriMo Update no. 2
11/7/19-11/13/19
Week two was a bit harder than the first. The excitement wore off and the crushing reality of the 50k settled in. Motivation is hard to come by these days, but I’m still really enjoying writing Embers. AND I am staying on track pretty well so far.
Words written this week: 10,313
Total word count: 23,484
Let me know how your writing is going this month, even if you’re not doing NaNo. 🙂
What are some other pros and cons of the writing community? How do you want to effect this community?
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20 Comments
Oh goodness, the criticism given when it’s not asked for, absolutely. I had to separate myself from a small writing community because of that. I seek and am thankful for criticism, but not when it’s given by people other than those I asked. XD This was a great post, and I hope you find great writing communities that have many more pros than cons!
By the way, I love the writing photos you include in each post. I love opening your emails because I can’t wait to see a pretty writing photos.
YES unexpected criticism is hard to deal with! Thankfully I have found a writing community that is very polite and considerate of everyone else. Have you heard of Story Embers?
Oh, thanks! WordPress has a lot of great free photos. 😀
I have, but it was too similar to Kingdom Pen for me and didn’t appeal much. XD I’m in the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild — have you heard of it?
So that’s where those are!! How do you find them? I use self-hosted WP and don’t see an option anywhere 😂
Oh, okay. Yes, I’ve heard of it! I was actually part of it for a year, but stopped because I couldn’t take advantage of it enough at that time to be worth the money we were paying. XD
I have a self-hosted WP site too, but I also use the plugin Jetpack for most of my site management, including writing blog posts. Writing blog posts in Jetpack gives me the option of the free photo library.
Oh my goodness, I’m in the same boat, lol. XD
Hmm I use Jetpack too… you write your posts *in* Jetpack? I’ll see if I can find a way to do that. Sorry for all the questions! XD
Yes, and I wish I could explain how to get to INTO the plugin…but I’ve literally just clicked around random places to try to get there. XD I’ll let you know if I figure it out! No problem! 😀
Thank you so much! XD
I agree with this post so muchhhhhhhhh
I always thought I was the only one who ever found glaring problems within the writing community? I didn’t want to sound too sensitive so I didn’t want to mention it too much, but I am wonderously glad someone else feels the same way. Glad you brought out this post to bring awareness! 🙌❤️
😀
Yes, I was a little nervous about posting this, but I’m so glad to find people that are agreeing with me. Thanks for reading, Penny! <3
This was a great post!! I’m so thankful for writer friends. 💕 I think one of my pros would be the little fan club that develops around your stories. Maybe it won’t be a bestseller, but it is to your group of fangirls!
That’s an awesome pro! Seeing other people excited about your own story is so encouraging. 😀 Thanks for reading!
The comparison is REAL, and it’s such a terrible trap to fall into as we’re all different people and it’s just ridiculous to expect so much of ourselves. Great post!
YES!
Thank you so much for reading, Bernadette!
I’ve done basically okay so far. I try to be careful who I hang around, and so far I’ve been lucky. Also knowing that it’s okay to stand up for yourself and leave someone really helps, and it makes me sad that some people don’t realize that they can do that and just end up getting bullied.
And sometimes I realize I don’t appreciate my own writing enough, but I try to support myself. 🙂
Yes, that’s a good thought. Leaving bad situations is a good thing to do.
That’s awesome that you try to support yourself! It can be really hard to think positively about our own writing.
Jenna,
This is a great post and encouraging to us writers. You have a gift of encouraging others! Keep it up! 🙂
Happy writing!
Thank you so much, Hannah! 😀 <3
Same to you!
Yes, the writing community is fabulous and it sky rocketed my writing from hobby to commitment … but the criticism is rarely dished out tactfully. But those few who do know how to give a good critique are gems 😉
MB> keturahskorner.blogspot
PB> thegirlwhodoesntexist.com
Yes, exactly! 😁 Thanks for reading, Keturah!
Yes, exactly! 😀 Thanks for reading, Keturah!