3.5 The author tribe, a ramble
For a species like ours, community is essential.
From finding a place to fit in at work, to finding folk who share your hobby in the same way.
You will see and hear a lot of drama as a result of communities insulating and expanding as trends in various industries change and evolve- or fail to evolve in some cases.
And that's kind of normal and part and parcel to humans in groups. We're a bit of a weird bunch. Loving new experiences and yet adverse to change. A contradiction? Congratulations, we have a lot of these.
When it comes to writing communities, these contradictions are just as common and prevalent as they are in any other groups.
If you've spent any amount of time on twitter, you've probably seen mass social media mobbing of folk, just as often as mass rallying of folk.
For years before I spent time with other authors- I thought my processes were special- that my struggles were unique. There's a really lovely moment when that special-ness is ripped away and you realize that John sitting next to you had the exact same struggle on his last novel that you did.
No one understands the creative drive and mindset like other creatives of your flavour.
If you write and draw, you might need two different tribes, because artists have their own struggles just as similarly as authors.
Our victories are the same as well. Finishing a story, getting through a plothole, killing a character, all of these are victories other authors understand extremely well.
But you'll get a lot out of it.
I'm sure there are plenty of horror stories about the new aspiring author who went to a local meet-up and was laughed at and denigrated and has shunned all authors ever since as a bunch of elitist prickbags. But there are more stories about discovering how connected we all are and learning so much more and forging important lifelong friendships. Those are the stories I want you to experience.
It took 16 years for me to go to my first ever NaNoWriMo write-in. I'd been doing NaNo for 14 years and writing 2 years before that. I was literally shaking with nerves when I walked in to the public library. Meeting a bunch of strangers, none of whom probably wrote fantasy or sci-fi, most of whom were probably older, more experienced authors with tonnes of awards. But the meeting was a runaway great day and I literally talked so much I had a sore-throat and dehydration headache that night.
It also taught me an important lesson about the writing tribe in general- we're all scared of each other.
Several months later I started attending a local writers group and it was the best thing I did for myself as a writer.
Not only was I suddenly exposed to works I didn't normally read, but I had authors of so many varying levels and walks of life to communicate with. Some wanted wisdom from me, others wanted to chat, others wanted artistic criticism, some wanted that sense of acknowledgement from other authors. It was euphoric and I went for months and months. I highly recommend writers groups for this reason. Even if you aren't ready to share your work, even if you don't know much about children's books, or sci-fi or poetry, etc. There's something to be gained.
But the important point is this- I was ready to attend a face-to-face at this stage in my life. If you aren't ready, then don't force yourself. Never force yourself if it makes you violently ill. But if you're just a little scared or a little timid, screw your panties up and give it a go. There's a lot to be gained.
I came to a conclusion- kicking and screaming- that I would have to make my own meet-up group. Initially I dismissed this idea afterall, what do I have to offer the writing community? But the thing is, I have plenty to offer the community and even if I wasn't a published author or a long time old hat at the writing process, I would have plenty to offer. Spirit and warmth go a long way to making a home for authors.
So, if you can't find an writing group near you, my advice is this; make it.
Allow me to elaborate.
As a very particular type of person, my social media is filled with American politics, social justice, strong LGBT+ voices, a lot of anime fans and mostly funny shit-posts from genre authors.
My closest friend in the real world is a self-published author, her feed is full of very different types of authors, no anime fans, cat-videos, Australian politics and not a whiff of the latest explosions in the Romance genres but lots of explosions in the horror genres (movies and books)
Our interests vary only slightly, but as a result, we share and hear news each-other benefits from immensely that our internet bubbles don't allow in. I shouldn't need to explain how the internet works, but people seem to forget that the carefully curated echo-chambers we create can actually damage our ability to find new and interesting things. Real people are harder to slice into pieces.
Understanding that not everything is peaches and cream is essential- humans are complex and our communities hold as many levels as we ourselves do.
So how do you join and avoid the drama? You can't, I'm afraid.
You can minimize your involvement and stand apart from most of it, but you won't ever escape it altogether. You need to work out what drama you are willing to ignore, what you are willing to accept and what you are willing to muster up if something has to be done. I don't mean to say 'go out and start a fight if you don't like someone' I mean to say, don't throw a stone unless you're prepared to get hit by a dozen stones back. If you're prepared to weather a storm for a thrown stone, go right ahead.
It's scary, but worth it.
From finding a place to fit in at work, to finding folk who share your hobby in the same way.
You will see and hear a lot of drama as a result of communities insulating and expanding as trends in various industries change and evolve- or fail to evolve in some cases.
And that's kind of normal and part and parcel to humans in groups. We're a bit of a weird bunch. Loving new experiences and yet adverse to change. A contradiction? Congratulations, we have a lot of these.
When it comes to writing communities, these contradictions are just as common and prevalent as they are in any other groups.
If you've spent any amount of time on twitter, you've probably seen mass social media mobbing of folk, just as often as mass rallying of folk.So what is your author tribe and do you need one?
First of all, I'm going to tell you the hard truth, no one understands an author like another author. I spent years 'out of touch' with the community aspect of authoring (about 16 years to be accurate) because I didn't think I had much to offer. When I did finally come out of my shell, I realized in those 16 years I'd evolved into a relatively experienced and level-headed author and had plenty of advice and thoughts to offer folk just starting their journey. So I discovered I could contribute to the community but there's a lot more that I immediately got out of the community.For years before I spent time with other authors- I thought my processes were special- that my struggles were unique. There's a really lovely moment when that special-ness is ripped away and you realize that John sitting next to you had the exact same struggle on his last novel that you did.
No one understands the creative drive and mindset like other creatives of your flavour.
If you write and draw, you might need two different tribes, because artists have their own struggles just as similarly as authors.
Our victories are the same as well. Finishing a story, getting through a plothole, killing a character, all of these are victories other authors understand extremely well.
That's great Kristy, but why do I need to meet other authors in real life?
You don't. Frankly, writing is one of the most introverted vocations a body can engage in. That is to say, we're almost universally introverts and actual human interaction is about three levels of 'nope' for our little hermit-crab-writerly-selves.But you'll get a lot out of it.
I'm sure there are plenty of horror stories about the new aspiring author who went to a local meet-up and was laughed at and denigrated and has shunned all authors ever since as a bunch of elitist prickbags. But there are more stories about discovering how connected we all are and learning so much more and forging important lifelong friendships. Those are the stories I want you to experience.
It took 16 years for me to go to my first ever NaNoWriMo write-in. I'd been doing NaNo for 14 years and writing 2 years before that. I was literally shaking with nerves when I walked in to the public library. Meeting a bunch of strangers, none of whom probably wrote fantasy or sci-fi, most of whom were probably older, more experienced authors with tonnes of awards. But the meeting was a runaway great day and I literally talked so much I had a sore-throat and dehydration headache that night.
It also taught me an important lesson about the writing tribe in general- we're all scared of each other.
Several months later I started attending a local writers group and it was the best thing I did for myself as a writer.
Not only was I suddenly exposed to works I didn't normally read, but I had authors of so many varying levels and walks of life to communicate with. Some wanted wisdom from me, others wanted to chat, others wanted artistic criticism, some wanted that sense of acknowledgement from other authors. It was euphoric and I went for months and months. I highly recommend writers groups for this reason. Even if you aren't ready to share your work, even if you don't know much about children's books, or sci-fi or poetry, etc. There's something to be gained.
But the important point is this- I was ready to attend a face-to-face at this stage in my life. If you aren't ready, then don't force yourself. Never force yourself if it makes you violently ill. But if you're just a little scared or a little timid, screw your panties up and give it a go. There's a lot to be gained.
I moved and haven't found a new group
Since arriving in the Central Coast, I've been searching for a new writing group like the one I had down in Canberra. There's a few around- catering, I have to assume for full-time authors since these groups only run during the middle of the work day. But these groups do lessons and talks. Nothing like the informal setting I had before.I came to a conclusion- kicking and screaming- that I would have to make my own meet-up group. Initially I dismissed this idea afterall, what do I have to offer the writing community? But the thing is, I have plenty to offer the community and even if I wasn't a published author or a long time old hat at the writing process, I would have plenty to offer. Spirit and warmth go a long way to making a home for authors.
So, if you can't find an writing group near you, my advice is this; make it.
Does the online community count?
Of course it does. But it also cannot hold your hand and hug you when you win a competition, providing you essential human affirmations. Your internet friends cannot sit in a room with you, drinking coffee and rambling about the weather last week that caused you to write a drabble. Online communities are great- I am in no way knocking their usefulness and warmth. The constant encouragement and drama keep us going. But I highly recommend you also meet other authors in the flesh. There's a lot to be gained from stepping out of your own bubble in the internet.Allow me to elaborate.
As a very particular type of person, my social media is filled with American politics, social justice, strong LGBT+ voices, a lot of anime fans and mostly funny shit-posts from genre authors.
My closest friend in the real world is a self-published author, her feed is full of very different types of authors, no anime fans, cat-videos, Australian politics and not a whiff of the latest explosions in the Romance genres but lots of explosions in the horror genres (movies and books)
Our interests vary only slightly, but as a result, we share and hear news each-other benefits from immensely that our internet bubbles don't allow in. I shouldn't need to explain how the internet works, but people seem to forget that the carefully curated echo-chambers we create can actually damage our ability to find new and interesting things. Real people are harder to slice into pieces.
So I want to join a community but I don't want the drama
I'm going to tell you a secret. I read and write romance, but the romance community, I am honest, scares the beegees out of me. There is a lot of good stuff- writing advice, warm welcomes and a lot of really lovely folk. But there is a dark side and I've seen snippets of that.Understanding that not everything is peaches and cream is essential- humans are complex and our communities hold as many levels as we ourselves do.
So how do you join and avoid the drama? You can't, I'm afraid.
You can minimize your involvement and stand apart from most of it, but you won't ever escape it altogether. You need to work out what drama you are willing to ignore, what you are willing to accept and what you are willing to muster up if something has to be done. I don't mean to say 'go out and start a fight if you don't like someone' I mean to say, don't throw a stone unless you're prepared to get hit by a dozen stones back. If you're prepared to weather a storm for a thrown stone, go right ahead.
It's scary, but worth it.
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