Its fun to write with others!
About seven years ago, I partnered with Charity Singleton Craig to co-author On Being a Writer.\n\n\n\nWhile working on the draft, we often pulled up one of our shared Google Docs to review our drafts and notes in real time. In this way, we wove together our stories and experiences with relative ease.\n\n\n\nIf we had a grade school report card at the end of the project, the teacher would have checked off \u201cPlays nice with others.\u201d\n\n\n\nWriting is most often a solitary act. But sometimes we get an opportunity to write with others. These occasions may involve brief connections or extended collaboration. Quite often, they're just plain fun.\n\n\n\nThe Energy of the Inklings\n\n\n\nHave you heard of the Inklings? They met weekly for beer and conversation, according to Diane Glyer in an article at the official C. S. Lewis website. While they didn't officially collaborate, like Charity and I did on our book, their discussions affected the shape and direction of countless projects.\n\n\n\nGlyer writes in "C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and the Inklings" that the men would gather, make tea, and begin pulling out drafts of their work. As one person read, "the others would settle down to listen, to encourage, to critique, to correct, to interrupt and argue and advise. They\u2019d continue this way, reading aloud, energetically critiquing, until two or three in the morning.1\n\n\n\nYears ago I craved that kind of creative community.\n\n\n\nI even considered moving to a college town, thinking I'd be more likely to find a gathering like the Inklings there.\n\n\n\nFind Your Creative Community\n\n\n\nThe good news is that it's easier than ever to find like-minded writers without moving to live near a university.\n\n\n\nThese days, I know writers who meet at cafes (or they did before 2020, and they'll start up again soon, I\u2019m sure) to discuss technique or simply to write on separate projects in the same space. Some chai, a chat, then back to the works in progress.\n\n\n\nWriters who contribute to anthologies feel part of a project-driven community.\n\n\n\nWriting retreats are a fun way to power through personal goals with a posse of fellow writers. Churn out a few thousand words, then relax with others who appreciate your creative challenges.\n\n\n\nThen there are in-person and online communities that write together, like:\n\n\n\nsilent or guided writing sessions via Zoom (in guided sessions, a moderator might offer writing prompts)silent or guided writing rooms on Clubhouse (these exist!)social media writing challenges that use a shared prompt or hashtag\n\n\n\nLook for existing writing groups where you can jump into a writing challenge and meet new people, broadening your network as you make new friends.\n\n\n\nForm Your Own Community\n\n\n\nBut don't forget you can create your own little gathering.\n\n\n\nDo you know another writer? Someone with similar goals? Ask if they'd be a writing buddy. The two of you can text each other each day when you complete your daily word count goal.\n\n\n\nTreat it like a short-term experiment at first, to test the waters. You never know? Perhaps you'll find another word nerd who sends you grammar memes and Hemingway quotes.\n\n\n\nGenerate Our Own Creative Energy\n\n\n\nDiane Glyer said the Inklings "generated enormous creative energy."2 I love the sound of that, don't you?\n\n\n\nWe may not find a group as vibrant, educated, or British as the Inklings, but we can form our own gathering. We can generate our own creative energy.\xa0\n\n\n\nOr we can join an existing community that exudes its own personality and flavor.\n\n\n\nWe may forge lifelong friendships like those men who authored great literary works; but more likely, we'll enjoy something simpler.\n\n\n\nWe'll laugh.\n\n\n\nWe'll have fun.\n\n\n\nWe'll play nice with others.\n\n\n\nAnd that's a good place to start, isn't it?\n\n\n\nLinks & Resources\n\n\n\nSee if something below is exactly what you need for your creative journey:\n\n\n\nJoin the hope*writers 7-day Instagram writing challenge (they run this periodically; the next one starts Monday, May 10,