So, you’re writing consistently now. You have a blog, you’re freelancing regularly, or you’re writing plays, fiction, poetry or non-fiction. You are a writer. A bona fide one at that. Of course, you have your laptop, tablet, notebooks and favorite pens; but do you have a writing tribe? A group of like-minded ladies who are committed to writing, inspiring and supporting each other in a business that is essentially a one-woman job. I saw a t-shirt on an Instagram post last week that read “I’m a writer. I was already social distancing.” And, it’s true, most writers don’t work in a writers’ room or have a step in their process that includes interacting with other writers consistently, so that’s why a writing community is so important. You’re usually working on your own, but here are three reasons you need a writing tribe.

1) It’s a One-Woman Job, but You Need Co-Workers

I’ve been writing professionally for about 15 years. I’ve done it off and on, but right now I am on and plan to be for a very long time. I enjoy the process of brainstorming, researching, writing and editing (I don’t like transcribing, lol). Each step is done by yourself, but there are so many tips and tricks to make it easier that I learned from ladies in my writing community. I joined the See Jane Write Collective a few weeks ago and I love it. Although, I am a one woman show when I have to write, I now have other writers who can critique my work and we give each other advice and ideas during our virtual meetings.

2) You’ll Always have Inspiration at Your fingertips

I love that I can go onto our private Facebook page at anytime and read some amazing writing for inspiration and ideas. You also find ladies in the tribe you instantly connect with and build friendships with outside of the group.

3) Networking and Support

Having a group of writers to network with is another benefit to joining a writing tribe. We can help each other get freelance jobs and we can spotlight each other on our blogs and vlogs. We can also support each other’s work and hold each other accountable to meeting deadlines and goals.

So, although most writers like to and, in many cases, need to go into what I call a “writing cocoon,” interaction and community are necessary as well for inspiration, networking, accountability and support.