Welcome to part two in the Tuesday series of teamwork for writing success. Whether you’re a paranormal romance author like me, or you write in any other genre, trad or indie published, teamwork matters.
Based on my own experiences, I believe teamwork makes the difference and the first step is finding a writing group that fits your needs, either online or in person.
A positive, active writing community is essential for success no matter what your writing goals are.
It was during my first critique session with my local RWA chapter that I learned my writing voice bent naturally toward the genre of paranormal romance novels. The exceprt I shared that week was from a novel aimed at the romantic suspense audience, but everyone who read it commented that I needed to show the paranormal element sooner.
“There isn’t any paranormal element,” I thought. But when I took a look at the comments and compared them against the manuscript, I realized my vocabulary, mood and even the world building were better suited for paranormal romance readers.
A good writing group will help you identify your strengths. They will foster and encourage each other through accountability and camaraderie.
We all have days when we get lost in the research when we should be writing. We all have to deal with and conquer life distractions as frivolous as twitter and as serious as a family crises.
The give and take, the wisdom and support, the references and referrals, from writers who have ‘been there‘ is a vital element of team spirit and personal growth for an author at every stage of the game. No matter if ‘there’ is a form rejection, The Call!, or the choice to go Indie.
Writing groups are also essential for keeping your sanity. Not every one has imaginary friends that keep them up at night or show up in sleeping or waking dreams (those folks are missing out, in my opinion). Connecting with a writing community, you realize you’re not as alone on this journey as it feels sometimes.
Match that positive camaraderie with smart programming to help writers with everything from grammar to marketing and you start to realize that a writing community is the solid foundation for teamwork which is vital to success, no matter what your writing goals are.
Live the adventure!
