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| English: Dew on a spider's web in the morning. Français : Rosée sur une toile d'araignée au levé du soleil. Русский: Утренняя роса на паутине. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Writing
can be a lonely profession. But a writer does not need to be
completely alone in his or her efforts. By building connections with
people, writers find affirmation, encouragement, challenge,
accountability, and grounding. Although a writer can
write alone, I believe that a support system greatly increases a
writer's staying power – the ability to keep writing in the
long-term. The people in a writer's support system can include family
and friends, but don't neglect the power of casual acquaintances,
critics, and the faceless reader.
Affirmation:
People who call you a writer can boost your confidence when you are
in doubt. I regularly write at a cafe where many of the servers and
regulars know that I am working on a book. Every time I go there,
people ask me how the book is going. Their belief in my ability to
be a writer helps me to get going and stay on track.
Encouragement:
This is a tough one for me. Writing is difficult but I don't like to
complain. On the other hand, allies who are writers or thoughtful
readers can provide fresh insight or just nod as I talk about the
current challenge until I find an answer (sometimes a journal just
doesn't cut it). I've learned that by having many people in my
network, I can ask for encouragement from just one or two people and
rotate through the people I confide in. That way, I don't weigh
people down (something I worry about).
Challenge:
Tap into perversity when you come across a skeptic. The urge to
prove the skeptic wrong can give you added motivation to push
through all obstacles. When you feel the criticism is valid, push to
improve your work and overturn the opinion.
Accountability:
I feel that when I tell people I am writing a book, I am increasing
my accountability. Sometimes their expectations are all that keep me
writing. I do not want to let down people who believe in me. You can
also ask people in a support network to help you keep up with
deadlines (self-imposed or otherwise) by holding you accountable to
them.
Grounding:
Writers can get so caught up in the worlds of their creating, that
we forget about the real world around us. People in support networks
can help you reconnect with this world. Further, relationships
generate and release emotions that writers need to experience for
their writing to live. Not to mention they provide fresh fodder for
conflict, dialogue, character, and plot! The people in a writer's
support network are a constant reminder of the larger world –
distracting sometimes but a necessary ingredient in life.
