Writing a book might seem like a solo effort, but it doesn’t always have to be. On the contrary, the process is actually a lot easier when a writer has a great support network in place.
Some members of this network will be based on personal relationships — family, close friends, or even a local writing group. But an ambitious writer will never get the most out of the writing community if they do not get involved in online communities as well.
Online writing communities are places where people discuss their favorite books, share writing tips, swap publication stories, or even critique each other’s work. If you’re serious about taking your writing to the next level, here’s a list of the best online communities to get involved in.
Writing Forums
What it is: Writing forums is an online writing community that provides writers with a supportive and informative environment to share their work and communicate with other writers. It’s a place to learn from others and teach what you know, and there are competitions on the forum that can help sharpen your writing skills.
Why it’s useful: Good writing isn’t something you learn from a textbook. Instead, it’s learned from experience, practice, and talking to other people who do it well. Writing Forums is dedicated to helping writers swap their experiences, practice with frequent prompts, and share written work for others to critique or comment on. The website has dozens of forums that discuss all things writing, from the Introduce Yourself thread for new members, to more technical writing discussions such as Plot and Character Development, and even publishing Q&A and support. This is a welcoming and supportive community of thousands of talented writers who want to see each other succeed. Don’t hesitate to join in!
NaNoWriMo
What it is: If you’ve been writing for long enough, you’ve probably heard of NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month. Just like the name implies, this is a month-long challenge held every November to encourage authors to write a 50,000-word novel in just 30 days. While the challenge itself originated in 1999, NaNoWriMo became a nonprofit organization in 2006. Its goal is to provide writers “tools, structure, community, and encouragement” as they take on the NaNoWriMo challenge.
Why it’s useful: NaNoWriMo is a huge community of individuals working toward the same goal: write a book. Its value is similar to the value prop of a fitness class: some people find it easier to accomplish difficult tasks in a group setting. You can feed off the energy of others, so to speak, as well as find a community of like-minded individuals all striving to accomplish the same goal. The NaNoWriMo website has the same effect and also provides word-tracking or plot-planning tools to help you write 50,000 words in a single month. And if you’re not up to 50,000 words in a month, there’s also Camp NaNo in April and July, where a writer sets his or her own writing goals. It’s less pressure for those working on smaller projects or who just want to dip their toes into the NaNo pool.
Critique Circle
What it is: Critique Circle is a website that connects talented writers with each other to swap critique and feedback. The community is full of passionate writers looking to hone their craft, so they will help you if you’re willing to help them.
Why it’s useful: If there’s one thing that’s hard to find from your close friends and family, it’s probably meaningful writing critique. Not because those people close to you don’t care, but because not everybody is lucky enough to have other talented writers in their close circle. Your spouse will probably gladly help you hunt for typos, but depending on their writing skill level, they probably won’t be able to point out issues with tense, syntax, point of view, and more. Critique Circle provides an answer, allowing writers to turn to an online community of accomplished authors for critique. The process is very straightforward: critique a couple of writing samples in order to gain credits, then use those credits on critique for your own work. It’s a “leave a penny, take a penny,” model which you can utilize in order to get some high-level critique… if you’re willing to put in work helping somebody else.
Faithwriters
What it is: Faithwriters is a community created specifically for writers who have faith-based work. The site’s offerings include Christian writing lessons, article exposure assistance, access to paid writing opportunities, and a supportive community hoping to help you get the very most out of your work. If you’re a Christian writer, this is a great group to join.
Why it’s useful: Faithwriters is a place to learn, teach, practice and grow as both a person and a writer. Beyond the lessons and access to jobs, there’s also a critique circle and frequent writing contests. The 12 Free Writing Courses all have thousands of views and cover important writing skills—both elementary and advanced. There’s also a forum, which includes hundreds of discussions and thousands of comments about writing skills, problems, techniques, and even non-writing-related topics, too. The Faithwriters website is simple but the content is incredibly valuable.
Takeaway: Endless possibilities
This is just a drop in the bucket of online communities for writers. If you’re having problems you can’t solve on one of these fantastic websites, then there’s probably a community elsewhere with the support you need.
More than anything, however, never fall into the trap of thinking that you’re all alone when you’re writing. It’s easy to feel that way, but when doubts creep in or obstacles try to trip you, find support from other writers via online communities. Let them stoke your writing flame and use that motivation to build new worlds — in both fiction and reality!