Everyone knows that a support group almost always helps those of us doing the hard work of learning a new skill. Over the years, many of my writing students have asked if the same thing is true for them.
Well, there's good news (actually, great news) and there's bad news about that.
Let's get the bad news out of the way first: the actual process of putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and transcribing your ideas into written words is by its very nature a solitary activity. As a matter of fact, this is a simple truth that holds some potential writers back from exploring their talents. It's so quiet! (They say.) It's so lonely! (They exclaim.)
But this challenge is easily overcome the minute a writer becomes willing to spend a little time and make writing a habit. This is actually the first job we tackle in the Power to Write online training program. We ask our students to write 2-3 pages, longhand, every day for a couple of weeks. These pages are not meant to be great writing, or even about any certain topic. And certainly, these pages are never shared with anyone -- not the instructor, not other students, not anyone. We ask only for a daily brain dump -- like in a journal. Our students inevitably find that once they have opened this door to their written ideas, the solitary aspect of writing is no longer a debilitating problem for them.
Now, on to the good (errrr, I mean...) great news. Yes, a writing tribe can help you in many ways.
It is ONLY the original act of getting your words onto a page that must be a solitary act. Once the ideas are there, a support group -- your writing tribe -- of other students and instructors can serve you in so many wonderful ways. Obviously, they can help you edit. But they can also identify with your struggles and successes and reassure you that you're right where you're supposed to be. They can often serve as "research assistants" about topics that you need to know more about, and they can laugh with you as you all improve your skills together. Perhaps best of all, that tribe can improve your own sense of self-worth by giving you the opportunity to help others in the same ways.
So many aspiring writers attempt to develop their skills in a vacuum. They attend single-day seminars that cover the entirety of the writing process, but leave no time for actual writing, let alone the development of a writing tribe. Or they subscribe to an online writing program that doesn't have a writing tribe -- or even personalized instructor input -- included in the curriculum.
Don't be afraid to both develop your writing skills AND find a writing community. Your skills will grow faster and you'll make at least a couple lifelong friends and/or business associates.