Well, I've been having lots of fun building up my friend collection on Facebook this week. A big thank you to those of you who have "friended" me! (Funny, the verbs we've come up with in this age...)
For those of you who are interested, I'm Authoress McNonymous. Ya, the Celtic surname is kinda growing on me.
It's not just about gathering a huge friend following, either. I can't tell you how fascinating it is to be hooked up with so many WRITERS! So many status updates having to do with works-in-progress and editing sessions and word counts and dead muses and such. (Okay, I made up the dead muses. You can relate to that, though, I'll bet.)
Very cool. A strong sense of "we're all in this together."
My "real" Facebook account is loaded with real-life friends--98 percent of which are non-writers. So while I love them, and while many of them cheer me on when I post writerly updates, they don't offer the same sense of I Know Exactly What You're Feeling.
I mean, how could they?
So my Authoress McNonymous account is providing me with something I didn't expect. And of course, that "something" is the collective You.
I already know that you're an amazing group of aspiring authors. Now I can actually get to KNOW you a little better.
Just a little, mind you. I'm not going to be spending too much time on Facebook.
(She says with a straight face.)
And naturally I'll share as much of myself as I think I can, without giving away my anonymity. Or, mcnominity, as the case may be.
So tell me: How important is it for you to have a community of like-minded writers surrounding you? Do you have this in "real life" or does the Internet provide it for you?
I find that I really, really need it. New revelation, that. And I'm so grateful to have "found" all of you.
That sounded schmoopy, but there you have it.
Have a joyous weekend!
I love having an online community of writer friends. Luckily, I also have writer friends around me in "real life". And some of my online writer friends have become just like "real" friends, even though we have never met.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm grateful for writers like you, Authoress, who help us all along our journey.
Having writer friends is very important to me. The Slushbusters started out as a bunch of strangers who needed critiques. They have become wonderful friends.
ReplyDeleteThe blogs and social networking sites have brought even more "friends" into our circle. Writing is so often isolating that it's great to find ways to make it less so.
Sometimes I need to be with real people instead of the ones that live inside my head.
The blogsphere is my community of writers. My friends don't write. For the most part, they don't understand my angst and frustration. The many bloggers I've connected with "do"! They've been there, done that, and have the multiple t-shirts.
ReplyDeleteAs I've blogged, I've developed close (well, as close as possible with the Internet) relationships wiith some of the bloggers. We snark together, raise our margaritas to each other at 7:30 CT on Friday nights, and give each other a pat on the back when needed. "We" are there for each other when the doubt assails us, the muse dies, or Inspiration (sneaky little witch) suddenly decides to take a vow of silence. We know each other by screen and real names. We know each other by our blog posts and our comments. There is a sense of community that encompasses us and makes us know we are not alone in this crazy journey we call writing.
And, I'm with you on the schmoopiness of bing grateful to have found all my blogging buddies.
S
Okay, word verify is spidess. Is that a royal spider??
The blogosphere is also my community of writers. In the past I also blogged anonymously (but no more) so I understand the desire to do that. But, in my own defense, I won't friend an anonymous person on FB because there are photos of my kids and personal life - and I feel like it's a give and take. I know I might miss out on some great banter, but like the Mcnonymous stuff, it's my one rule.
ReplyDeleteBut I do love the blog and twitter banter, Ms. Mcnoymous!
Another celtic/gaelic option would have been O'Nonymous. I like the sound of McNonymous, though, personally.
ReplyDeleteAnd up until about a month or so ago, the majority of my friends were Artists.
In the visual sense, not the textual sense.
Some of them write (one in particular writes quite often, and is indeed working on her very first novel) but for the most part, they draw.
Having a community of agents/editors/writers around me has been wonderful. Now, I don't get out much (to the consternation of my family and the few remaining IRL friends from high school who haven't moved on and out of this immediate area) so the majority of my community is via the internet, and blogger and twitter and what have you, but it's freeing in a way that I didn't think was possible. I finally have people who write, who understand what I'm going through and understand, also, what I mean when I say "I'm writing a book."
Better yet, they believe me.
And don't take 'not spending too much time on Facebook' for granted. I thought the same thing when I joined. I look back on that naivety and laugh gaily.
And an odd note: the captcha for this comment is morses. I can't tell if it's trying to tell me 'Moses' 'Morse Code' or 'Horses'. Hm, dilemma.
It's hard to find writers in real life! I don't know, it's easier to advertise yourself as a writer on the Internet. Plus, coming from a small town with no real critique groups around, it's definitely nice to have a community of writers online. None of my real-life friends write.
ReplyDeleteEven though I don't participate a lot, I feel fortunate to be part of a couple of on-line groups of writers. I am also a very involved member of the Society of Southwestern Authors, where I have a few very good and writingly-helpful friends. And I'm also part of a working writing group, and have formed friendships with a couple of its members too. I've been writing for years, but have only recently reached this level of knowing other writers, and I love it.
ReplyDeleteHowever. One of those friends e-ed me today to say that one of her friends' Facebook site had been hacked. She is concerned that because she's listed on his page, her site and all her friends' sites could also be compromised. I don't know any more about it than that she's worried, but thought I'd mention it.
Ashleen
How important is it for you to have a community of like-minded writers surrounding you? Do you have this in "real life" or does the Internet provide it for you?
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I'm not sure. :]
I came from one of those scribbling families - like the Brontes. ;]
That doesn't mean we write the same type of things or have the same goals.
That's the connection I get online - I can snoop on or talk to likeminded people who are working towards the same goals that I am. I can learn from them, or procrastinate with them. 0-(:)]
I live in three different places - Los Angeles, New Orleans, and northern Michigan - so having access to writers, editors, and agents online is very important to me. Most of my L.A. pals are writers for TV and film, so it helps me to have connections with other fiction writers (unpublished or otherwise) - even if that's via the cyber-ether. Although I enjoy writing in solitude, I'll never get better if I don't learn from others. And their firsthand success stories and harrowing experiences help me in a way that how-to-be-a-writer books never could.
ReplyDeleteAt least that's what I tell myself (and my husband) when I spend too much time on Facebook and Nathan Bransford's blog. ;-)
I agree with Icy Roses. I live in a small country town as well, so I don't know any writers, and none of my friends write.
ReplyDeleteIt's not really important for me to have writer friends on the internet (I managed for ages), but this year, I've really made connections, and now, I have some good "friends". I'm so glad I got a blog.
Great question. I meet with a writer's group in person, and I'm starting to develop my online group of writerly friends. I've actually gone about this in reverse order...usually I seek out everything possible on the internet FIRST. I like both though, for different reasons.
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