I love my tribe of writers. We meet once every couple of months with local fellow writers, and we have an international conference every year. We are Christians of all ages, all personality types, and all writing genres.
I suppose some would consider this group an extra commitment, like a chore. But for me, it’s pure joy. And here’s why:
It’s validation. Writing is primarily a solo activity, so sometimes I get caught up in my own head about how bad my writing is. ‘I can’t do this,’ ‘Who am I kidding?’ and ‘What are words?’ are common themes. Meeting up with other writers who endure the same kinds of mental struggles and imposter syndromes is a welcome relief.
Meeting other writers with the same mental struggles and imposter syndromes is a welcome relief.
I can pick their brains. If I am stuck in my writing, or thinking of branching out into a new genre, or need publishing advice, I have a cohort of people just waiting to shower me with tips and good ideas. Honestly, they are so willing to help! It makes the journey easier, knowing I don’t have to come up with all the goods myself. Yes, I will do my own writing, but leaning on my tribe reminds me I’m not alone—and I don’t have to do this alone.
We eat good food. Okay, so that’s not a primary reason to meet up with other writers. But what if food is a metaphor? Yes, we eat cake and drink tea, but we also nourish each other with good writing tools, friendship and prayer. That’s right, we pray for each other. We pray for our writing, our wellbeing, our walks with God, and for anything else we might need. It’s like being part of a church. (Maybe because it is.)
It’s like being part of a church.
It’s who you know. I’ve made some fabulous connections through my writing tribe: editors, mentors, beta-readers, publishers, graphic designers, marketers, chaplains, fellow book signers, radio broadcasters and fabulous writers whom I wish to emulate! If I need assistance, all I have to do is ask my group. Someone is bound to know someone!
People buy my book. Seriously, writers just love books! It has lifted my spirits tremendously to see fellow writers not only buy my books, but sing their praises too! They also give me (kind) constructive feedback, which is just as valuable, because it makes me a better writer. Having writers read your book is a gift.
We’re all weird. Have you ever met a ‘normal’ writer? Neither have I! We’re all a bit quirky, a bit left-of-centre, a bit unusual. We see humour in unexpected places. We imagine other worlds, other possibilities, other stories. We love language, so we’re a bit nerdy. When I found my writing tribe, I felt like I had come home. They are just as weird as me!
When I found my writing tribe, I felt like I had come home.
There you have it, six solid reasons to find yourself a writing tribe. Because no matter where we are in our writing journey, no matter how ‘successful’ we think we are or whether we are published or not, we all need each other. And we’re better together.
Go find your tribe.
Do you have a ‘writing’ or ‘creative’ tribe? What do you get out of being in your tribe? If you’re not part of a tribe (yet), where could you start looking for like-minded weirdos—I mean creatives? Share your story. Let’s have a countercultural conversation.