Navigating Writing Communities

Let’s talk writing communities. You know them. You love them. (Hopefully...)

If you’re a writer, you probably have some sort of community around you that helps you out. Feedback is a huge part of the process—the first draft needs to be scrutinized, commented on, and pulled apart by a fresh pair of eyes. Sure, you could ask your friend to look it over, but is Angela from Accounting really going to know how to make a climax more impactful? Maybe, but I’ll bet a fellow writer or editor will probably give you some advice that’s a bit more constructive. Something that isn’t just “Oh, I like it!” (A kind sentiment though, thank you, Angela.)

A writing community doesn’t have to just be a bunch of beta readers, though. It can sprout from writing challenges like:

• The Writer’s Workout — an organization that hosts a bunch of fun writing challenges (This sounds familiar!)

• NanoWriMo — a (now defunct) project that challenged writers to write a novel in one month

• Shut Up & Write! — an organization that hosts writing events to help writers get writing

It can sprout from fandom spaces, too. Most of the friends I’ve consulted are in fanfiction communities. It’s broad and wide-reaching, dipping long fingers into countless pies around the world. Many people start out writing by way of fanfiction. It’s easy to write about what you like, after all, especially when you have source material to build from. And fandom is one of the easiest ways to build community and make friends!

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Where to Find Them

Where exactly do you find a writing community, though? Just because you made it to The Writer’s Workout or Archive of Our Own doesn’t mean a community will be sitting on your home page.

Well, there are a lot more communities than I mentioned. In my experience, the best way to survey the community landscape is to head over to writing subreddits and see what the redditors are up to. Just from a cursory search, I found this reddit thread asking about “the best writing communities on the internet.” Wow. A tall order. And forty people answered the call!

Some of the subreddits they mentioned include:

• r/freelancewriters — if you’re looking to work as a writer

• r/writingcircle — if you’re looking for feedback and critique

• r/writersgroup — if you’re looking for feedback and critique

Nowadays, though, more organizations and businesses are using Discord to foster community. It’s free, it’s easy, and all it takes is a link or a QR code. (No, Discord did not sponsor this blog post. Unfortunately.) For example, if you look at the bottom of any page of The Writer's Workout, there’s a handy-dandy Discord link through their little monster logo. And when you join, there’s more than the Writer’s Games—there are channels for self promotion, writing sprints, open calls, feedback, and a lot more. 

So, when you get to a website that’s boasting community, there’s a pretty big chance a Discord link will be hiding somewhere. If you haven’t made an account yet, now’s your chance. It's free!

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Pros and Cons

I’ve joined several writing communities on Discord over the years, and I have a few writer friends who have done the same. In fact, I met a lot of these friends through those Discords!

These communities can be as big or as small as you want, but there are pros and cons to both. Bigger communities can be too overwhelming and run the risk of coming across unwelcoming; there will probably be quite a few regulars who have already made friends before you. That might make you feel excluded as soon as you arrive. Smaller communities run that risk, too, but I’ve found them to be more mindful of new people. However, smaller communities may not have as many resources, and they may not be as active.

Additionally, with any community, if you’re going for a Discord that isn’t run by a business or organization—I’m mostly referencing fandom-based communities here—then there’s a possibility of interpersonal conflict. One of my fellow writers mentioned how sometimes, with smaller communities, a hierarchy can form and arrogance can be fostered among community members. This happens most in small, informal spaces, and while I don’t think it’s too common, it is something that could happen. Just be aware of who you’re talking to, folks!

Small, informal spaces aren’t all bad, though. These are often the best options for making friends. Most of the time, the community members are enthusiastic and eager to get to know you. I find the people in these spaces to be a lot more approachable, too, so if you do happen to run into an issue with someone, it’s easy to talk to an administrator.

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What to Look For

When you go looking for communities, you have to consider: What are you looking for? Are you looking for inspiration, or a push from fellow writers to just sit down and bust out those last few hundred words? Are you hoping to make more friends in writing and editing spaces? Or are you looking for something that’s strictly for business—are you trying to promote yourself and your publications? Are you trying to get published?

Writing communities are what you make them. It can be a little scary if you’re an introvert like me, but you have to take the first step. You probably won’t get much from a community if you just lurk silently in the shadows. At most, you could use their resources—event announcements, open call announcements, etcetera—but you probably won’t get more than that.

It takes a little courage, but once you reach out, that gives the whole community the chance to take your hand. You can ask for feedback about a scene you’re not sure about, or you can request beta readers. You can ask the community for help with brainstorming, or you could do writing sprints with someone.

One of the Discords I’m in has a voice channel that writers can join, but it stays completely silent; it’s for people who work better when there’s someone with them. WW's Discord has this channel option too! Having more remote options like this is more accessible, especially if you’re someone who’s disabled or doesn’t otherwise have the means to go somewhere physically.

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Okay, What’s the Big Deal?

If you’re still not sure about what the hubbub about writing communities is about, then that’s fine! But let me share one last thing.

When I asked some fellow writers what their favorite thing was about writing communities, they said variations of the same thing: the people. It’s nice to be encouraged and supported by others, especially if you’re not confident in your skills and you’re too shy to share your work elsewhere.

For a lot of writers, these communities become something of a foundation—for their confidence, their motivation, their spark.

Some people work better alone, but this industry isn’t known for being especially solitary. We need feedback for revision. For feedback, we need people. And the people who give that feedback can make all the difference.

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About the author:

Lindzey is a recent graduate who fell in love with creative writing in the fifth grade. Since then, their love has branched out to other areas of writing and language, especially editing and publishing. They hope to help writers develop their ideas and see their stories come to fruition one word at a time.