Serious writers—spending time with writers and other bookish folks

In her comments on my May 14, 2008 post, Iseult asked for some advice on how to meet writers, publishers, agents and other people involved in the serious world of writing. There are a number of ways to do this and tons of benefits: from meeting people who will help you get published, to meeting people who will inspire you, to meeting people who become fast friends. Here are some ways to connect:

• Go to events such as book fairs, conferences, workshops and retreats. Scroll down to see my running list of ones I hear about all over the country (and I even turn up a few in Canada—I’ll start keeping my eyes open for ones in other countries, too). Also see my postings for January 26, 2008, August 9, 2007, and August 5, 2007 for more reasons to go.


• Check out writers’ groups in your area. And if there isn’t one, start one! Soon after I moved to rural Wisconsin, I started the Menomonie Writers Guild. In the years since that first meeting, I’ve increased my output of fiction, including finishing my novel. I’m now focused on short stories. Plus I have made so many friends. See my posting on July 14, 2007 for more details.


• Join some online writers’ communities like http://www.booksie.com/ (free). Many communities have groups within them that are specifically for writers—one I know of is http://www.beliefnet.com/ (again, it’s free).


• Become a member of national, regional or local writers groups (membership fees are usually reasonable, and may be tax-deductible for you). Some I belong to include the Association of Writers & Writing Programs (http://www.awpwriter.org/ ) and the Wisconsin Regional Writers Association (http://www.wrwa.net/ ).


• Hang out at bookstores and libraries, and let the staff know you want to connect with other writers. My local bookstore is a great source for what’s happening in my area.