Ten Tips on Finding Your Own Creative Writing Community
Matthew Gurteen
Writing is often a solitary profession. Most of the time is spent hunched over a desk, working on your next novel, short story, or poem. It doesn’t have to be, however. Instead, there are communities of creative writers around the world. Finding a community is essential to support you. You can share and get feedback on your work and listen to others. As Neil Gaiman, author of Coraline, Good Omens, and Stardust, says, Writers may be solitary but they also tend to flock together: they like being solitary together. In this article, we will give you our top ten tips on how to find your own creative writing community. That way, although your hobby and/or profession is solitary, you can find others like you!
1. Create a blog to share your work
Our first tip for finding your own creative writing community is to create a space to share your work. This space could be a blog or website. As long as you are putting out content, you will attract fellow writers. Others will want to comment on your work, and you can build a community by responding to them and visiting their blogs and websites!
2. Use social media
Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok are also great places to share your work and reach out to others. Try searching for creative writing communities online. You can do this by using creative writing hashtags or looking through local profiles in your area. Promoting yourself on social media will also attract a creative writing community to you. Try sharing your work and responding to comments on social media to find your own creative writing community.
3. Attend creative writing events
Another great way to find your own creative writing community is to attend open mics, book launches, and other creative writing events. Creative writers like you will flock to events like these in your area. Like you, too, they are probably looking for their own creative writing community. Try searching online for creative writing events in your area and attend them to meet new people. Another great part of this tip is that these events are often free!
4. Join a creative writing class
Similar to the previous tip, another great place to meet new people and find your own creative writing community is to join a creative writing class. Doing so will introduce you to students just like yourself, whether online or in-person. You can build a community in the classroom and receive feedback and support for your work. We offer several courses online where you can learn more about creative writing and possibly find your creative writing community. You can find them here: https://creativewritingink.co.uk/courses/
5. Go to a writing retreat
Writing retreats are also great places to meet new people and find your own creative writing community. Writing retreats are longer events designed to provide you with classes and a space to unleash your creativity. Try searching for writing retreats in your local area. If you do, you can stay in touch with the other writers you meet and build a creative writing community from there.
6. Try libraries and bookstores
Another great place to find a community of writers is at local libraries and bookstores. You likely love reading if you wish to pursue writing as a hobby or career. Chances are, other writers do too, and may frequently visit libraries to research their work. Try starting a conversation in these places to find your own community of writers.
7. Ask your friends
If you already have writer friends, it is worth asking them if they attend any creative events or belong to a creative writing community themselves. Finding others to introduce you to creative writing communities is sometimes the best method of finding one. That way, too, you already know someone there, taking the pressure off meeting new people.
8. Follow up
This next tip applies to all of the previous ones, but when trying to find your own creative community, remember to follow up on connections! Whether you meet a community through friends, at a creative writing course or event, or online through social media or a blog, remember to contact them and arrange future events. Forming a community is impossible without communication. Networking only works if people are willing to collaborate in the future!
9. Subscribe to a creative writing magazine
Another great place to find a creative writing community is in magazines and journals. There are countless creative writing outlets out there, both online and local. Try subscribing to one of them and submitting your work. Creative writing magazines provide you with a space to reach out to fellow writers. Most aim to bring creative writers together through their shared love of writing.
10. Create one!
Finally, if all else fails, the best tip for finding your own creative writing community is to create one of your own. It is possible that you are struggling to find a creative writing community because one doesn’t exist yet. Instead, advertise online or organise your own creative writing event, class, or retreat to provide a space for writers like you to network and form future connections.
These were our top ten tips to find your own creative writing community. Are you a part of a
creative writing community?
