Networking won't kill you they say....

In last weeks post on creating confidence in yourself and your writing, we talked about the need to surround ourselves with people who were encouraging and supportive. If you haven't read the post you can do so here:

https://www.writingforums.org/entry/building-confidence-in-yourself-and-your-writing.64266/#comment-11311

Today I'd like to take that topic a step further and discuss how surrounding yourself with those people (and actively seeking them out) can do more than just foster your confidence. Yes, today we'll be talking about the necessity of Networking.

STOP! Don't run away!

If you're like me, you probably feel like that word (networking) is or should be considered a four-letter word. You're probably thinking, but Corbyn- I hate people, or I can't be normal in social situations. Well me too, but that doesn't change the fact that as writers we can gain far more from taking the time to seek out like-minded people, and exploit them for our world domination schemes (insert evil laugh here).

I've talked before about the local writer's group that I was a part of, but most of you may not know that some states or countries have more than just regular writers groups. I was a member of the Texas High Plains Writers. This group was a pro writers community that met bi-monthly. It offered workshops on everything from indie publishing, to building your brand, grammar, you name it, and they did it. I was so fortunate to be able to attend these meetings, and I miss them dearly.

For everything that the group was, it was above all a place to network with like-minded individuals. Through the group, I found editors, critique partners, help with book cover designs, and so very much more. Because of this group, I got my first freelance gig back in 2013. It didn't last long or pay well, but the experience was well worth it.

My point is that you're reading this. That means you use this forum, and hopefully to its full potential. If you can use this forum, you can network with other creative types to further your craft. You can do so and get helpful tips on how to publish, or write a different kind of story.

Sometimes to get to where we want to be, we have to practice not only have the confidence to say we're writers but also practice interacting with other creatives and use those connections to further our goals. You never know when someone you've met here might have that one piece of information ( or know someone else) who could make all the difference between your piece being accepted or rejected, or even becoming next best thing since sliced bread.

As always, I hope you enjoyed reading this blog. If you feel like there is something you’d like to see me cover, or I haven’t covered correctly, please leave a comment below. And if you do figure out how to make that laser powerful enough to take over the world, remember who pushed you to further your goals and cut a poor girl in will ya?

Thank you for reading, and above all— Happy writing!

-Corbyn