by Christine Pedersen —

When we imagine authors, we usually picture a lone person, sitting at a computer, battling the inner demons that inspire their craft. They’ve gone mad from the back and forth of staring at an empty screen to not being able to stop their frantic fingers when the words begin pouring out. They have become a hermit lost in the world of their creation. 

They’re lonely. 

In 2022, I had the seeds of a dream. I had self-published a collection of poetry the previous year, with little success, and any future plans for writing were crushed by my all-consuming job at the deli. Forty-two hours a week managing a team and smelling like ham really does numbers to your personal life. Quitting that job was one of the best decisions I ever made. 

It gave me the time to go to our local farmer’s market where I met a man selling his books. We talked and he told me he was trying to start a club. With my newfound time and lack of stress (and ham smell), what did I have to lose? I went to that club meeting and, I am not exaggerating, it was life changing. 

Fast forward to the present. It’s February 2024 and our club is still meeting. I have written the first draft of a fantasy novel (something I thought I was too dumb to do), and have another couple of stories waiting for my attention. After years of not reading, my desire to be a better writer made me pick up books again. My obsessive rants about those books and my writing led my bestie to also rekindle her love for books. This group tested my comfort zone, but my competitive nature and need for validation drove me to keep showing up with content. They’re honest and are always pushing me to improve. They watered that seed I had and told me to not be afraid of dreaming big. I used to say I’d be happy writing just as a hobby. That a couple poetry books and a 9-5 job would satisfy me. I was lying to myself. 

It took the tough love of my club, my best friend, my partner, my brother, and the amazing writing community online, to finally open my eyes. All of these people reached out their hands and pulled the little kid who wanted to be an author out of the recesses of my heart. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without them. 

There are three main things I believe community can help us writers with:

1. Inspiration– Reading makes you want to write! Especially if you are reading the work of your peers. Watching someone else be inspired is… well… inspiring. You want what they have. You get more ideas. You see what comes from putting in the work. 

2. Diversity– Yes, you can do as much research as possible but there is nothing like first hand experience. Having people with different backgrounds looking at your work and offering their wisdom is essential to creating a well-rounded story. If you are a man trying to create a good female character, talk to women! If you’re straight and want to incorporate queer identities in your book, talk to queer people! If you are trying to respectfully portray other races and cultures, you guessed it, talk to them! I am the youngest in my club and at first I was insecure about it. But, I soon realized that they had knowledge and life experiences that I could learn from. And it goes both ways. 

3. Support– Recently I had a plot crisis. Everyone I reached out to for help came together and provided me with resources, advice, and, probably the most important, listened while I went on a wild tangent about my ideas. I got it together. Sometimes, we need that reassurance when we feel inadequate or that tough critique that tells us we can do better. It helps us keep going. 

So, it may be tempting to lock yourself away and get lost in your little world, and that’s okay… sometimes. But how can you create a world, a character, or a story, without a community to inspire you?