Roll up, Roll up, who needs a pick-me-up?
Who’s feeling lost in this world of writing?
Who’s been worrying that it won’t happen, it will never happen, that no one is ever going to publish this book?
I have just the remedy for you and it comes in the medicinal form of #WritersWise, courtesy of Dr Liam Farrell and Sharon Thompson. (@drlfarrell and @sharontwriter respectively on Twitter)
Like most writers I have my eccentricities, I have a tendency to spend most of my time away with the fairies and I like my solitude. But I also love socialising and it’s something I get to do very little of (I have a novel to write, after all!)
Even the most hermetic of writers occasionally needs someone to talk to. And this where the wonderful, quirky and marvellously supportive writing community really shines.
This week I took part in the aforementioned twitter chat, #WritersWise, a platform for writers from all walks of life to connect and talk shop. Not only did I get to talk to, and gain excellent advice from, other writers, but I also got to see, once again, how similar we all are.
I discovered that other writers also have that momentary sense of doubt whenever someone asks them; “What do you do?” (“Can I really say I’m a writer…really?”)
They too hope for the day they can support themselves financially by their writing alone, whilst tearing their hair out worrying that day will never come.
But best of all I rediscovered how supportive they all are, how other writers genuinely, emphatically want fellow writers to succeed and how happy we are to help each other, be it through industry advice or just encouraging one another to keep at it.
I will definitely be taking part again.
If you do, too, you can join the next #WritersWise chat on the 23rd June, at 8pm GMT (3PM ET)
See you there!
Rebecca Tinnelly 