That’s why I LOVE NaNoWriMo meet-ups! Makes me feel less alone and strange.

I don’t think I’ve ever thought of other writers as competition, but I suppose they could be. I’m a journalist and love meeting other journalists in the area to learn what inspires them and what they love to write about. I’m also a mystery writer and love meeting other mystery writers. I have competition when I’m entering a writing contest, but unless you’re self-publishing, it’s up to the editors and publishers you’re submitting to whether or not your writing is put in front of an audience.

For me, meeting writers and talking about any aspect of writing, is inspiring. I’m always getting new ideas and new ways to think about things. For me, the advantages of meeting and talking with other writers outweighs keeping myself isolated.

Getting feedback/comments is definitely a challenge. It’s nice to know people have stopped by the page (by looking at the statistics), but having visible proof people have stopped by is definitely more encouraging.

Having a call to action (asking a question, or saying “please tell me what you think of x”) at the end of a post is a recommended way to get comments. Or think about yourself and when you’re inspired to leave a comment when you visit someone’s blog. What motivates you to take the time to leave a comment?