writing life

So, I might have overcommitted, just slightly, this month. You might not see a lot of posts from me. But hang in there, I’ll be back when things slow down.

I’ve recently joined a new online writing group site, Writer’s Carnival. I love this group of writers/reviewers and there are all kinds of fun prompts and challenges on the site. They are offering free one-year memberships if you create an account before November 15th. That’s tommorrow. So hurry!!

I’m teaching a blogging class there, Blogging for Beginners, and it is a lot of fun. I’m having a blast helping people get their own, customized, free blogs started. We meet for two hours, once a week.

I’m also taking a Flash Fiction class at the same site. That has been awesome, too. Flash is my favorite fiction to write and I’m loving getting some new stories written for the assignments. It also meets for two hours, once a week.

For my other online writing group, Wordsmith Studio, I’m part of the Wordsmith Advisory Group (WAG). There are four of us that get together for about an hour once a week to talk about how things are going in the group and any opportunities to get group members having fun and writing. I’m also working on the website for the group, organizing weekly prompts and guest posts. I LOVE what I get to do with this group, and every minute I get to spend having fun with them. They are super supportive and loads of laughs.

Then, there’s NaNoWriMo. If you’ve ever tried, or even heard of, this challenge, you know it is crazy. You have to write a 50,000 word novel, in 30 days. See? Crazy. So, this is definitely the one that’s suffering. I’ve written about 5K words so far, and if I were on track to finish at the end of the month, I would be at 25K by the end of tomorrow. I’m not positive, but I don’t think I’m gonna make it. My local NaNo group has been super-active this year. They have write-ins at the local libraries and/or restaurants at least once a week, and usually two or three times. Saturday night, we’re doing an all night write-in at a 24-hour cafe. I’m hoping to attend and possibly double my word count, leaving me way behind instead of ridiculously behind. But, we’ll just have to wait and see how it goes.

Wish me luck!! (and words, I can certainly use more words)

Becca 😉

Writing is not usually a team sport. It lends itself to the solitary lifestyle. Some days, I don’t even change out of my pajamas, let alone shower.

But this is where writing communities can be helpful. And I’m involved in a few.

I’m a founding member of an online group of writers. We call ourselves Wordsmith Studio. It is a fantastic group that is always ready to provide encouragement, comment on work, and inspire you to new heights. I love it!

I’m also a founding member of a local writing group, Wicked Wordsmiths of the West. We met through NaNo write-ins and word sprints last November. We normally meet once a month at the local library and share resources, short pieces of writing, and have fun writing activities. We are currently prepping for NaNo this year and meeting once a week to plan our projects. Once November starts, we’ll be meeting at least once a week for word sprints to cheer each other on to our word count goals.

And I’ve recently joined another online writing group, Writer’s Carnival. This online group is centered around writing and reviewing. Before you can post your writing, you must review at least three pieces already posted. This ensures everyone is getting peer feedback. They also have tons of great contests with cash (and other) prizes. For another month, you can join and get a year membership free, but after that they will begin charging a small fee. So HURRY! The newest addition to this group is Classes. They’ve got three starting in a little over a week: Starting a New Blog (taught be me!), Starting Your Novel, and Self-Editing. Since this is the first group of classes being offered, you can get them at a discount. There are lots more planned to start in January and make fantastic gifts for writers (hint, hint). 😉

Do you belong to any groups, online or otherwise? How do they help keep you motivated and on task? Are you looking to join a writing group? Feel free to visit the ones I mentioned above. They are all very welcoming to new members. See you there!

Daily Prompt: Community