Today's poster gives us some good advice. We attain success in our writing world one step at a time. There is no button that says 'push me and reach the peak.' If only!
There are logical steps to reaching the status of professional writer. Again, one step at a time. We read about writing, we take classes on our craft, we do writing exercises, we write drafts, then edit and revise and on and on. We know what we need to do.
One of the steps in our journey is taking advantage of opportunities to widen our scope in the writing world. With the advent of zoom meetings, we can attend writing classes and workshops, or listen to experienced writers share their expertise with us. Many of them are free. They are also done in the comfort of your own home. They can whisk us to another state in a flash. They allow us to meet more writers than we once did.
These are wonderful opportunities, but it is up to us to take advantage of them.
Because of the pandemic, my state authors convention has been broadcast on zoom for the past two years. We were sent a schedule of the workshops, and we could attend any of them that appealed to us. Occasionally, two that I was interested in were scheduled at the same time. Not a problem, because the recordings were saved and could be watched at a later time. The convention worked well in this manner, but we are all hoping to have an in-person convention next fall.
The opportunity to attend the convention via zoom was given to us, but each member had to take advantage of this gift. Yes, we had to pay a fee, just as we do for the in-person conventions. Even so, we had a chance to enlarge our writing world by tuning in to listen to accomplished writers.
Many state writing organizations are divided into districts. My group had 7 districts. Many are using zoom for meetings with some all zoom and others a hybrid--attend in person or at home on zoom. Because of traveling distances involved, the zoom option allows many who would not drive two hours to a meeting to still be in attendance. It's a great solution. The important thing is to take advantage of the opportunity, up to you to attend.
Maybe you have a critique group that meets in person. The group is there, but how often do you show up? Time out from writing is well spent at a meeting like this. We gain a great deal by listening to other writers, by asking questions. Take advantage of this time spent with other writers.
Do you belong to an online writing group? If so, do you take advantage of all it has to offer? My online group allows me to submit my work for critique, gives me an opportunity to read and critique the writing of other members, offers me writing exercises on a regular basis, and allows me to chat with people who have the same interest in writing that I do. To be in a group like this is a golden opportunity to help us grow as a writer, but we must take advantage of what is there for the taking.
What if you're asked to give a program or be interviewed online, radio, or tv? Do you say yes to the invitation? No doubt, it takes time to prepare, but it's a golden opportunity to increase your reading audience. Say yes.
Take a few minutes today to consider opportunities in your writing world. Which have you taken advantage of? Which ones have you skimmed past? The question that follows on each of these is 'why?' There are always some valid reasons for not using these opportunities--like a schedule conflict. But, if you are not attending because you didn't get around to it, you need to give thought to how these opportunities might be of help to you. Then, make a point of attending.
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