Do you find it hard to meet other writers? Writers are everywhere, but we aren’t a boisterous bunch.
Even if we work somewhere surrounded by people, we’re focused on our screens or our notepads. And even if we’re looking around, it’s uncommon to make eye contact when our minds are in ‘writer mode.’
The Burton Rascoe quote is perfect: “What no wife of a writer understands is that a writer is working when he’s staring out the window.” We might be looking right at each other, and not recognize a similar soul.
Letting the story work its way into my mind
But there are ways to meet other writers.
Blogs – such as this one. All of us are in New England, but we each have different networks and areas of interest.
Writer-focused or author Web sites can be a way to connect with the authors of the site, and their bio pages may then have names of writing groups or organizations they belong to. Then when you visit one of those pages, you’ll find even more ways to connect with other writers and maybe even discover a group of like-minded writers just around the corner!
Cafés and coffee shops are natural places for writers to congregate, so check out bulletin boards and newsletters at these locations to see if groups meet that might be of interest. Asking a barista or bookseller at these places can lead you to local people, too.
Events coordinators at libraries can let you know if there are any local groups that meet. Local community colleges and high schools that offer adult education classes are also resources to check into.
Meetup.com is an international resource. You can find people with similar interests in your area – or if you’re planning to travel, you can easily find people at your destination to start a conversation with before you leave.
Facebook is another resource for meeting writers. I haven’t found way to search on multiple keywords, but there are certainly quite a few writing-related groups and pages there to get you started in meeting other writers.
In New Hampshire, the New Hampshire Writers’ Project offers “Writer’s Night Out” at various venues across the state on the first Monday evening of every month. It’s a fantastic way to get out and socialize with other local writers. Perhaps there’s something like this in your area. Start by searching for a state writing organization.
The best luck I’ve had to date is with book store writing groups and meeting writers through the mystery writer’s organization that I belong to. But lately I’ve noticed the more I talk about being a writer wherever I go, the more writers I’m meeting.
Maybe we just need to wear labels saying “Hi, I’m a writer”!
Where have you met most of your writer friends?
Lisa J. Jackson is a a New England region journalist and a year-round chocolate and iced coffee lover. She writes fiction as Lisa Haselton, has an award-winning blog for book reviews and author interviews, and is on the staff of The Writer’s Chatroom.
