Writing communities

I love Absolute Write, let me get that out of the way right now. I've been a virtual card-carrying member since 2006 and was a moderator of two forums - Writing for Children and Freelance - for three years. I respect the members and moderators, break into spontaneous dancing when one of the 30,000 members succeeds in their personal goals be it their first publication, a new book deal or finishing their first poem, and count my closest writing friends within their numbers. AW has been the right fit for me during different parts of my writing career, though at times it feels like a world-wide dysfunctional family and you're trying to stay away from the weird aunt who keeps a stash of carpet fluff as a pet.

At their best, these communities serve to unite those with common interests. Finding support, someone that "gets" you and, the occasional romance popping up between members isn't uncommon. At their worst, I've seen them described as inclusive, dominating and frustratingly hard to fit in. So what's the perfect size of community for you? Do you feel a small number of writers meeting at a local community center or library is best? A large writers' conference-based community? A Yahoo group that supports its members by staying in touch through email?  What are your experiences with writing communities? Does in person work better for you than online?

12 comments:

  1. Janna LeadbetterJanuary 18, 2011 at 9:42 PM

    Can't praise them enough! (Or thank you enough for pointing me to AW.)

    Love that pic of you two!

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  2. weeghostiesJanuary 18, 2011 at 9:46 PM

    We are the lucky ones, Janna!

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  3. Rebecca Laffar-SmithJanuary 18, 2011 at 9:47 PM

    I love AW too! Although I don't spend as much time there as I'd like. There is just so much to read and so many people to keep up with that it can be overwhelming. But some of my favorite writing friends are people I originally met at AW. I'm going to make time to visit the forums again more often. :-)

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  4. Elysabeth WilliamsJanuary 18, 2011 at 9:48 PM

    Yay for this post. I love forums. I love the never ending writing conference cocktail party that is Twtitter and of course AW.

    You know what I find odd - I 'knew' of your Zombie Dating Guide via AW - and then when a mutual friend said, "hey do you know Stacey" on facebook and sent me the link to your profile, I laughed. "Why YES, YES I DO 'know' her!"
    The internet and the world is really small sometimes. ;D

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  5. Elysabeth WilliamsJanuary 18, 2011 at 9:48 PM

    bwhahaha what a misspell that is.. Twtitter.

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  6. weeghostiesJanuary 18, 2011 at 9:51 PM

    LOL! I love it when we know each other by forum aliases but can't place the real name to the writer on facebook. I had that happen to me on Twitter yesterday, I don't think Lori has any idea I'm Undead Fred. ;)

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  7. weeghostiesJanuary 18, 2011 at 9:51 PM

    LOL! I just caught that!

    *cuts back on Beth's vodka*

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  8. weeghostiesJanuary 18, 2011 at 9:56 PM

    That's what I like about a community like AW, Rebecca. You can wander off and back in without people freaking out that you've been absent for a month. ;)

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  9. Melanie HooyengaJanuary 18, 2011 at 10:04 PM

    Yay for AW! I first stumbled upon it in '07 and cannot believe how close I've become with the friends I met there. I'm not there as much now because all but one are on Facebook and I much prefer to talk to everyone without the 20K members listening in.

    As for a writing group, I have a core group of people I rely on but since we've never met altogether, I don't know what'd be ideal for me. I've loved the times I've sat around a table with a group of writers and talked shop. Nothing compares.

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  10. weeghostiesJanuary 18, 2011 at 10:13 PM

    True enough. That's what I love about NaNo; most of the time I'm on my own due to schedule/family. I love hanging out with writers so make the time during that month to connect with people as odd as I am. ;)

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  11. June KraminJanuary 19, 2011 at 9:23 AM

    I'm not there much anymore but I do still love it. I have made some of the best friends I'll ever have there! (And a battery to stalk from here to eternity ;)

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  12. AdamJanuary 19, 2011 at 12:49 PM

    I used to spend a hell of a lot of time on AW, and learned a few things about writing in the process. I've made a lot of friends, too, and a nemesis. ;)

    I'm currently taking a break from it though, and only going on when someone wants me to look at a thread etc.

    No doubt I'll be back eventually...

    Other than AW, I've not used any other communities.

    Adam

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