Community by Nancy L. Eady

 Greetings from the frozen tundra, here in the great state of … Alabama? I know it sounds weird, but we have stayed cold all week. Our temperatures at night Monday and Tuesday were in the teens, “warmed” up to the 20s Wednesday and Thursday, but tonight we’re plunging right back into the teens, with a high on Saturday in the 20s! The only difference from last week is that I went back to work, since the roads are dry and ice-free. 

And that is important to me, because work is as much about social contact as it is about the legal issues I tackle. It’s one reason full-time remote work isn’t a good idea for me; I miss the people I work with. Which raises the question of how people who are full-time writers satisfy the deep human need for connection and community? 

I’ve studied this issue. One way writers establish community is when they attend conventions or seminars. I’ve been to Bouchercon twice, which is a convention for mystery readers, and it was a blast! I got to meet many of my fellow writers in person and forced myself out of my shell in doing so. On my bucket list for the future are Malice Domestic, Sleuthfest, Crime Bake, and Killer Nashville. Malice Domestic is held in the Washington D.C./northern Virginia area, and is another reader convention focusing on more traditional mysteries, including cozy mysteries. Sleuthfest, Crime Bake, and Killer Nashville are more geared to help writers improve their craft. Sleuthfest is held in Florida every year; Crime Bake is in the Boston area, and Killer Nashville is held, strangely enough, in Nashville. Once I finish my six-month probationary period at my new job, I am going to plan a trip to at least one of them in the next two years. 

Another way to build community among writers is to join a national writing group, such as Sisters-in-Crime and Mystery Writers of America, and one or more of their subchapters. I belong to Sisters-in-Crime, and their on-line subchapter, the Guppies. Besides the fantastic writing advice that I get through the Guppies’ list-serve and other programs, the best thing about the listserv is the chance to meet the other members. Even if I never meet them in person, I still feel connected.

A third way, old-fashioned but effective, is to join a local writing group that meets (gasp!) in person. To be fair, some subchapters of Sisters-in-Crime and Mystery Writers of America meet in person, but there may be other groups as well. An online Google search or a search through Facebook or your social media of choice may help you find them. 

Those are my ideas for making friends and connections in the writing community. What other ideas do you have? Do you think community is necessary for writers? If you’ve tried any of these ideas, which are your favorites?