The Road Less Traveled…
Having spent my entire career in corporate America, transitioning to the writing world was completely new for me. It was intimidating and overwhelming. It made me doubt myself and wonder if this is something I should take on in my forties.
Let’s be honest. Most people in their forties have settled into a comfortable routine. We’ve earned it. Most aren’t looking to begin a brand-new career they know absolutely nothing about. Transitioning to the world of writing felt like if I was to leave the world of Learning & Development to become a Wealth Management Broker. It’s possible… but do I really want to tackle all that comes with learning the stock markets, short sales, IPOs, or taking certification exams for Series 6, 7, 63, this late in the game?
Over the last 20 years, the only thing I’ve written is email. I didn’t know any writers or authors. But I made the decision that I wanted to give this dream a shot.
So, here’s what I did not only learn how to write, but build my community of trusted author friends to help me along the way. This is what I recommend for anyone who is starting their writing journey:
Take advantage of the algorithms
Begin searching for the following on social media.
- Writing organizations
- Fiction Writing groups
- Authors in your favorite genre
- (your genre) groups –i.e.- “Romance readers” or “Crime and Mystery readers”
Let the algorithm do the rest. You’ll see ads popping in your feed over the next several weeks. This expanded my writing world by pushing free trainings, ads for conferences, new authors, etc. my way.
Warning! Warning! Warning!
Not all resources, groups, or organizations are created equal. And not all of them are in the biz for the write reasons. Haha, see what I did there?
Do your research and don’t hand over your credit card so quickly. There are some legit looking websites/organizations who will happily take your money but won’t actually help you produce a great book.
Meetup.com
If Meetup is popular in your area, search for writing groups, critique groups, etc. Even if it isn’t popular in your area, look for virtual events in larger cities nearby. Meetup has a lot of virtual events that you don’t have to be a local resident to participate in. Writing groups, critique groups, genre-specific writing groups all exist on Meetup and most are free to participate.
Bookstores
Search bookstores in your area and see if they have author signings, whether virtual or in person. During book signings, authors often talk about their writing process and the publishing world.
Local/National Writing Organizations
Search for local writing organizations in your area, your nearest city, as well as national organizations. Whether you’re writing romance, crime/mystery, or children’s books, there’s a writing group specifically created for you. Some are fee based, some aren’t, but it’s important to surround yourself with like-minded people who understand the challenge of writing and who support you and your writing journey.
Local Book Conferences
Emphasis on local. The giant book conferences are not the best place to network with authors. Find small, local book conferences with the intention of networking with other authors. This can be uncomfortable, especially since many of us are introverts.
You’re going network (and then support the authors by buying some books).
Prepare some questions ahead of time to ask the authors. If you find an author that you connect with, ask them if they’d be willing to hop on a call with you or meet for coffee in the next few weeks. I’ve found that most authors are willing to share their wisdom and lessons learned.
Is it easy? No. Is it worth it? YES!
I’d love to tell you that this is easy. That it’s easy to step out of your comfort zone, it’s easy to learn something new, that it’s sooooo easy to just walk up to authors that you admire and ask them out to coffee.
It’s not always easy. My first year of writing can be summed up in one word- Uncomfortable. But if you read my prior post, it’s critical that we push past the resistance. Things that used to be uncomfortable become easier the more we do them. We just have to push through the fear.