WRITERS ORGANIZATIONS: The Importance of Bringing Back In-person Meetings

By Lisa Malice, Ph.D.

My daughter’s best friend was recently in town for a few days from Atlanta, where she works for a major home improvement company headquartered there. Hired during the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked from home for four years until last year, when every house-bound employee was ordered back into the office during the regular workweek.

Anne was initially reticent about the change in work environment. She’d been used to working flexible hours from home and other locations (such as my daughter’s home in Florida). She got used to the isolation, meeting up with co-workers and bosses virtually, completing tasks on her own without anyone’s help, working days without wearing business clothes or make-up.

Now, a year later, Anne knows that returning to the office was the right thing to do for the company, and more importantly, for herself.

Why do I bring this up? For one simple reason. When Covid-19 hit with the mandate to isolate, our writing community did exactly what corporate America did—told everyone to stay home. Mystery Writers of America (MWA) and Sisters in Crime (SinC), two crime-writers’ organizations with chapters across the globe, did their best it could to keep everyone connected by harnessing the power of video streaming services, such as Zoom and Google Meet. These virtual meetup platforms ensured its members could easily connect, learn, and support each other, as well as offer programming to mystery, suspense, and thriller readers everywhere.

My FL Sisters in Crime Chapter hosted virtual programming in January 2021 as part of the Southwest FL Book Festival, highlighting the work of authors from all across the U.S.A.

The best of these programs outlasted the pandemic because they offer something uniquely enjoyable that is impossible to offer in-person. 

Virtual book clubs, such as The Back Room (TOP), a 90-minute program twice per month that brings readers face-to-face to with four authors to learn about their latest book, talk about their writing processes, and otherwise discuss their life as writers (https://the-back-room.org). 

(BOTTOM) I enjoyed talking with members of the Delta Sigma Pi alumni book club after the launch of my debut thriller, Lest She Forget.

The lingering use of Zoom for chapter meetings, however, leaves me with mixed emotions. On the positive side, these hybrid meetings allow me to attend in-person when the location is within a ninety-minute drive, otherwise, I join in virtually to avoid a three-hours roundtrip on the road. What I miss is the opportunity to hang out with my fellow writers, grab lunch, discuss opportunities to work together, and best of all, share what’s going on in our lives—as friends do! If chapter meetings consistently drew good crowds, I would make that time-consuming round trip.

Unfortunately, this hybrid format has made many chapter members complacent, like corporate office workers, too comfortable to meet up in person for meetings.  Like returning to work in corporate America, there are so many benefits, both personally and productively, to in-person meetings.  

Fortunately, my MWA chapter here in Florida is taking charge to create regions across the state to encourage members meeting up, getting to know one another, and supporting each other with local events and programming, while keeping chapter meetings online for all to engage in virtually.

The Forbes Human Resources Council (www.Forbes.com) recently published an online article on 18 Overlooked Benefits of Returning to the Office for Work. Many of the points apply to hanging out together after meetings, such as over lunch, or using other opportunities to get to know one another better, such sharing a book fair booth. Here’s my take as a writer and psychologist on the five most relevant benefits for writers getting back together in person as much as possible:

1) BEING LIVE CAN'T BEAT LOOKING AT SOMEONE’S HEAD ON A COMPUTER SCREEN

Virtual meetups cannot offer anything near what in-person experiences can when it comes to building strong human connections. Being physically close, able to sense emotions, observe nonverbal cues, and even offer the occasional hug, are key to growing strong, stable trusting relationships. Isn’t that what we all need to advance our writing careers?

2) SHARED EXPERIENCES 

We make friends by sharing our experiences as writers, and to do so in-person nurtures our shared identities, values, and spirit that we are all in this writing and publishing business together.

3) MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS

Connecting with other writers in-person is a healthy coping mechanism. Writers can be isolated, even around their own family and friends, who can’t possibly relate to the emotional and psychological needs that it takes to publish fiction like other writers can. Whether you’re a novice writer or a NY Times bestselling author, we all need to talk to others in the business as a form of stress relief from frustrations and doubts, as well as joys and successes.

4) MENTORS FOR NEWEST WRITERS

I felt like the newbie author that I am last week meeting up in Tampa with three area MWA authors with hundreds of books published among them. They enjoyed getting to know me, giving me tips and encouragement for getting that next book done.

That same week, I had dinner with five other MWA members, two authors and three emerging writers at very different stages of their careers. It felt great hearing about their writing journeys and offering advice to reach that next milestone, whether it was reviewing a query letter to send to agents and editors, or suggesting resources for learning to edit that first draft. These young writers were very appreciative, just as I was when I was just starting out.

5)     GOAL CONTAGION.

Goal contagion is exactly what it sounds like—people catching on to the excitement of what you’re trying to achieve—in this case, write, publish, and sell books—and jumping in to help make it happen.

 

For me, being an active member of the writing community, especially as a volunteer, helped me land not just an agent, but got me a bigger advance from my publisher once that contract was on the table. Why? Because having friends in the business helps sell books. Even before the launch of my debut novel, I had friends offering blurbs, reviews, marketing help, social media exposure, even a spot on a local TV news channel.

As an active chapter leader for SinC and MWA, my enthusiasm and hard work putting together for a variety of community outreach programs caught on with other members, who were glad to join in and help get the job done. Over the course of two years, we grew our chapter from 30 people to nearly 100.

I would be nowhere on my writer’s journey without getting to know people in the business and energizing them to join me in the adventure of a lifetime. I hope we all will continue to make it happened for each other.

What about you? How have connections built in-person made a difference in your life with regard to achieving your goals in life?