by Susan Hibberd

Created on: May 18, 2008

Being a writer is often a lonely road to follow. Long hours sat on your own, scribbling away with not a soul to speak to all day. Don't you sometimes long to work on a factory floor or in an office where there are people to chat to?

A writer's life can become very solitary, and this isn't good for you. A writer needs stimuli to keep him or her going, and this is why you will find lots of articles here on Helium about overcoming writers block, and where to find inspiration. A writer should make time to engage in the real' world, and continue to gain life experiences, as these are the things that will make his/her writing come alive.

An author can also feel very cut off from other writers. If you are a nurse, you work with other nurses, teachers work together, house-painters often work in teams, and so do fishermen. These people can turn to each other to confirm that what they are doing is right. They can ask a colleague's opinion, or check facts with someone else. All these things are denied to the lone writer in his garret.

Joining a literary community will help to overcome many of those problems.

You can find a literary community to join by looking in your local library or phone book for groups that already exist, by joining an on-line writing community, or by starting your own.

Cultivating friendships with a variety of authors is of benefit. Poets, song-writers, novelists and journalists all have different styles, but can all give tips and advice to other members about style, content and submission guidelines, as well as a multitude of other topics.

Joining a writer's group can help you build friendships that can last a lifetime. Finding a friend with the same interests as you is often hard. If your life-partner doesn't write, then you can feel that you are on your own, but joining a writing community can alleviate this.

When you do join a club, make sure that you do your part. Don't just take advice offer some up as well. Offer to help organize some of the meetings or join in discussion boards. Only in this way can the community thrive and grow. More members mean more advice and more activities, which mean that everyone benefits more.

When you first join a club, you may be offered a mentor, or someone might put themselves forward as a 'buddy'. Once you are happy in your work, offer to do this for other new writers joining the group -what goes around, comes around, after all.

Joining a writers community is a great way for a writer to make friends and tap into a wealth of advice. Join one today!

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