writing community – Almost An Author

Ringing in the New with Great Resources

As we look ahead to a new year and a new opportunity to write and learn, I wanted to pull together a list of resources for writers. Wherever you might be in your writing journey, it is always worth reading about the industry and craft, and these sites are some of the best I have found.

Writer Life/Community:

Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators:

The largest society for children’s writers and illustrators in the US, SCBWI has chapters in nearly every state and hosts conferences on a national and regional scale. For an annual membership fee, members get access to tons of events, critique opportunities, and online book sales. SCBWI is a hub of activity for children’s writers and artists – be sure to visit their blog for interviews with editors, agents, artists and authors and to keep tabs on what’s moving in the industry. The SCBWI message boards are a fantastic place to post questions and learn from established writers.

Serious Writer:

A growing community for writers focused on the clean or Christian market, Serious Writer hosts conferences and contests, offers a wide range of classes, and provides an active social media forum for writers to connect. Serious Writer Club has both a free option as well as a membership-based option.

Writer’s Digest:

A longtime one-stop-shop for writers that offers resources and community.

Searching for an Agent/Editor:

Manuscript Wish List: manuscriptwishlist.com and #mswl on Twitter

This site connects agents and publishers to writers by doing exactly what it says – collecting wish lists of what agents and publishers are looking for and posting it online. The list is updated regularly, and it is a fabulous way to find industry insiders who might be interested in your project.

Query Tracker: www.querytracker.com

This site appeals to my spreadsheet-making sensibilities. It’s essentially an online method of organizing and tracking your queries and manuscript submissions. You can also post questions and interact with other writers.

Publishers Marketplace: https://www.publishersmarketplace.com/

For a $25/month fee, you can access agent and publisher research – lists of who is acquiring what and for how much. If you are researching places to query, it’s well worth a one-month subscription (be sure to cancel!) to find out whether the agent you’ve had your eye on is truly selling middle grade work.

Books about writing:

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
Revision and Self-Editing by James Scott Bell
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King
Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody

Finally – it’s not a book about writing but if you want to write and sell middle grade (or other children’s books), pick up a copy of the Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market.

Keep in mind that this is a highly abbreviated list, not a definitive list of resources, and that a site that one writer might consider a good resource may not fit another writer’s sensibilities.

If you’ve found a favorite go-to resource that you’d like to share, please post it in the comments below. Happy New Year, and Happy Writing!

Kell McKinney earned a B.A. in journalism from the University of Oklahoma and an M.S. in documentary studies from the University of North Texas. She’s a part-time copywriter, double-time mom and wife, and spends every free minute writing and/or hunting for her car keys. Connect with her on Twitter @Kell_McK or kellmckinney.com.

The Writing Community

March of every year is Brain Injury Awareness Month. It’s a time when brain injury survivors, caregivers, and medical professionals rally together to raise awareness about the impact and dangers of brain injuries.

It is a very strong and informative community that is willing to help others cope with an invisible disability that affects one and a half million Americans each year.[i] This is the first year I’ve decided to participate in the community awareness effort.

I shared my personal story about my disappointments, struggles, and successes since suffering my T.B.I. in 1997. The response has been tremendous and I’ve learned much more from others who have similar injuries. A community such as this has many benefits:

Encouragement and inspiration.
Contacts.
Opportunities.
Shared lessons.

Although each brain injury is different, we can still learn from each other. Being part of the community is a cooperative effort where individuals both give and take along with others. I hope that I helped others as much as they’ve opened my eyes.

Ever since my accident, loud noises or too many sounds at once seem to frustrate me and hurt my ears. All of this time I thought it was simply because my ears were compensating for my poor eyesight.

However, over the course of the month, I encountered countless stories from others about how loud sounds affect them negatively, too. It only took me more than twenty years to learn this and I may have never understood it if it weren’t for the brain injury community!

Likewise, I’ve been fortunate to know and learn from many gracious and giving writer friends within the writing community. The same mindset applies within this community—we give as much as we take. The community is all about sharing and helping others.

COMMUNITY?

Here are a few of the dictionary’s definitions of community:

The people with common interests living in a particular area.
A body of persons of common and especially professional interests scattered through a larger society.
An interacting population of various kinds of individuals (such as species) in a common location.
Joint ownership or participation.
A social state or condition.
Social activity: fellowship.

The benefit of community is never having to go it alone in our common area of interest. I can’t count how many times I have hit a brick wall in my writing and reached out to fellow writers for help. My biggest cheerleader on my journey, DiAnn Mills, always reminds writers to expect an adventure. There are ups and downs in this profession. One of the great aspects of writing for AlmostAnAuthor.com is being connected to writers of different mediums who are willing to help and offer advice.

Recently while I was doing a revision of a screenplay, I reached out to some other screenwriting friends for some tips and advice. One of them is a thirty year Hollywood veteran who has graciously mentored and helped me hone my craft of screenwriting. He doesn’t hold back and gives me the stone cold truth. A couple of years ago he shared with me about his own troubles in learning the craft. I feel honored and privileged to have him share some of his wisdom with me, no matter how blunt it may be.

TOUGH LOVE?

Every since I first became a part of the writing community almost a decade ago, I have been shown tough love by some of the most respected writers and editors in the business. For example: After failing to proofread my bio for a writing course, I was quickly rejected by the program—only to be given a second chance. What’s more, I received sage advice from Jerry Jenkins himself, who said, “From here on out write like a professional. I don’t care if it’s a love letter to your sweetheart, proofread it like a professional. All of your writing is an example of your work.”

Less than six months later my first writing mentor Roger Palms told me, “There are no shortcuts, learn the craft.” The truth may sting at first, but in the end, it is for our good. Honest critique from fellow writers:

Builds our writing skills.
Prepares us for the journey ahead.
Shows us where we need to improve.

You don’t have to be disabled to need help in life. We can learn from the mistakes of others and hopefully avoid them ourselves. Author Jerry Jenkins is known for his no-nonsense “thick-skin” critiques where he pulls no punches in his honest evaluations of a would-be author’s work. He has helped launch the careers of many writers within the writing community.

How have you benefited from the kindness of the writing community?

[i] https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/pubs/tbi_report_to_congress.html

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at Spiritual Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.