Writing can be a lonely endeavour, all those hours spent typing and telling the story you hope to see in print someday. I’ve heard it said so many times that finding your writing tribe, but I never truly appreciated what that meant until I found mine.
2018 was a year of making decisions for me, and a year that has made me so appreciative of the writing community as a whole. I came into 2018 with plans and goals and the determination to overcome my fears and lack of confidence. Have I succeeded? In many ways, yes, but boosting my self-confidence is an ongoing battle and probably will continue to be something I’ll struggle with even if I hit the bestseller list, secure an agent, or even get a publishing contract with one of the big 5.
Getting Serious About Writing
Towards the end of 2017, I decided to take my writing seriously. Yes, I’d self-published two books and won awards for both, but for me, self-publishing would always be a cop-out. It was a fear-based decision and not where my writing dreams were founded. I knew from reading copious articles and advise pieces, that honing my craft and continually learning how to make my writing better was the way forward. But let’s face it, workshops and writing courses are expensive, and for the most part, many of these are held in Dublin, so if you can’t get to Dublin easily, then you are left out. It was a slight spanner in my plans, but I could still find my tribe online, couldn’t I?
This led me to look at writing groups, and there are hundreds if not thousands of groups on Facebook and I joined so many of them. I started out excited, but this soon turned to frustration and despair. Many of the groups are focused on self-publishing or they are US based so discussions take place while I’m sleeping. The other thing I found was that for many of the writers in these groups the focus is on money. They teach that you have to publish a book every month to six weeks to be successful. That’s definitely not something I could do and to be honest, it didn’t sit right with me either. Where was the time to let the manuscript rest? Where was the time for editing and redrafting? I felt like a failure because this success method wouldn’t work for me and I didn’t want it to either. The final nail in the coffin for me with these groups was a post that told new writers not to worry about editing and to just get the books out there. When their income was high enough, they could look at editing. The recommendation was to get some beta readers and have friends read it. I was shocked and disappointed. I was frustrated and felt like I would never find the valued information that I sought.
I put writing groups to the bottom of my list and instead focused on networking and attending courses. These were run by traditionally published writers and I was surprised to find that these people I held to high esteem, and placed on a pedestal, were regular, ordinary people just like me with a passion for telling great stories. They worked hard, they attended courses, and they had doubts too. It was such an eye-opener and I knew then that I wouldn’t find my writing tribe in the self-publishing groups I was frequenting.
Finding IndulgeInWriting
I’m not entirely sure when I found https://indulgeinwriting.com/ , but it was the turning point for me in 2018. This group is run by Sharon Thompson, a traditionally published author, and after watching the introductory video by the brilliant Vanessa O’Loughlin of Inkwell and Writing.ie, I knew this was where I needed to be. It is a paid group, but anyone who is serious about their writing career knows that you have to spend money to improve. Whether that’s through courses and events or books, it’s part of the journey. I paid my membership and was instantly welcomed and made feel at ease. The live events that were scheduled taught me so much. From professional publishers to agents, to bestselling authors, the people who spoke for an hour were brilliant and the best part, I could ask questions and do it all from the comfort of my home.
The group itself has become like a second home and Sharon even organised pitching sessions for all the members that had secured a place at the Meet the Professionals event at the Wexford Literary Festival in November. The people in this group have become my friends and they are so supportive and encouraging. When I panicked or floundered and even the time I wanted to give it all up, they were there to talk me around and boost my confidence. We all help each other, and the positive atmosphere is something I haven’t found on other groups. With Sharon’s help and professionalism, a number of the group have secured agents or publishing deals as well and I’ve had a full request for my current manuscript. I know this wouldn’t have been achieved without this group and I know fully understand what other writers talk about when they say find your tribe. I’ve found mine and I can’t wait to see what 2019 brings for us all.
If you are thinking about joining a writing group in 2019, I can personally recommend IndulgeinWriting. https://indulgeinwriting.com/
Until next time,
Keep writing and reading,
Amanda
Amanda J Evans is an award-winning Irish author and writing coach. Amanda writes adult romance that often crosses into paranormal and fantasy. Growing up with heroes like Luke Skywalker and Indiana Jones, her stories centre on good versus evil with a splice of love and magic thrown in too. Her books have all won awards and her novella, Hear Me Cry, won the Book of the Year Award at the Dublin Writers Conference 2018. Amanda is also the author of Surviving Suicide: A Memoir from Those Death Left Behind, published in 2012.
