Connections without Cons

 

January 20 Hi! Terry here with our question of the week: In person conferences are great for socialization and building a community and increasing motivation. But if you're not in the position to make it to one of these conferences. What are some good way to stay involved in the writing community? 

 Long before I was published, I read a book called Making a Literary Life, by Carolyn See. She suggested that if you wanted to live a literary life, besides writing every day, you should write to authors you admire. She said doing so accomplishes the following: 

-It salutes the writer 

-It says, “I exist in the same world as you.” In other words, it announces to yourself that you are seriously pursuing the business of writing. 

-It invites the author to come out and play. The author may not respond, but they may. 

 I had a good friend who wrote short stories and who corresponded for years with the eminent science fiction writer Gene Wolfe. When he started out, he didn’t ask Wolfe for a favor. He didn’t gush about how wonderful a writer he was. He simply told him he admired his work, and why. And he asked questions. They “socialized” through long, rambling letters. 

 When I read See’s book, I decided to write an email to Attica Locke, who had just published her first book, Black Water Rising. I admired the novel, and told her why. And she answered! At the time I had no idea she was already well-known as a screen-writer. We corresponded several times—which made me feel like I was somehow getting a peek into the community of successful crime writers. 

 Now? All that letter-writing seems quaint. It may have satisfied the protagonist of The Correspondent, the breakout best-seller by Virginia Evans, but in today’s world, not so much. Besides the old-fashioned way of writing letters or emails, though, there are plenty of ways to stay involved without going to the expense in time and money of attending conferences. 

The best way to get connected is to join Sisters in Crime and/or Mystery Writers of America. Both groups have local chapters that host monthly meetings of interest to crime writers—interviews with authors, publishers, editors, screen-writers, publicists, and agents. Presentations by lawyers, doctors, forensic experts, psychologists, police detectives, members of federal law enforcement groups (CIA, FBI, etc). I attended one meeting where a hand-writing expert told us how she examined hand-writing to aid investigators. 

 If you can’t attend chapter meetings in person, many of these are presented digitally through Zoom and other apps. It may not be as social as in-person meetings, but it gives you a sense that there are other writers out there asking the same questions you’re asking; having the same issues of craft, research, editing, finding an agent, finding a publisher or publishing on your own. You find that you aren’t the only one who is struggling with the processes of writing your story, shaping the story, and finding an audience for it. 

 Then there are courses you can take, some on-line, some in person. Just today author Peggy Lucke put out a call for people who might be interested in a course on writing genre fiction that she gives at UC Berkeley’s extension. Look at community college offerings, adult education classes, and in local newspapers for private classes. That’s where you’ll meet other writers. 

 I have a further suggestion. When you are around people—at parties, at work, any social situation, tell others that you are writing. A book. A short story. A memoir. A few ideas. Whatever. Not only do people love to hear about that, but you’ll be surprised at how many other people are holed up, secretly trying to put words to page. You may find a good writing buddy that way. 

 And finally, there is social media. Follow some of your favorite authors in Bluesky or Facebook, etc., and engage with them and their other followers.

It may require a little effort on your part, the connections are out there. So go for it!

And now for a little BSP (Blatant self-promotion): The paperback version of my second Jessie Madison book, Deep Dive is no out!