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A collection of snippets of the books I write and, occasionally, my life and the things that inspire my writing...

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Eleri Stone: Tueday Two Cents' Worth

Today we welcome Author Eleri Stone to the Two Cents stage. She's answering the burning question: If  you could share one piece of  writing advice with other writers, what would it be? Take it away. Eleri!



My two cents…

One thing I wish I’d done a lot sooner in my writing career is to seek out other writers. I didn’t feel that my lack of connection to a writing community was such an awful thing when I was writing for my own pleasure, though surely even then it would have been helpful. But once I decided that I wanted to publish, knowing other writers really would have come in handy. Instead, I started submitting stories, no beta readers or kindly mentors or any idea of what I was doing. And really I have no excuse for that. There are so many wonderfully supportive writing groups out there that if I’d only looked around a little bit, I wouldn’t have gone into the whole publishing thing so unprepared.
If you’re a romance writer like me, the RWA (Romance Writers of America) is an incredible resource, not only for established writers but also for people just starting out. There are a lot of great local groups who meet in person to discuss the industry, bring in guest speakers and have workshops.
There are also a ton of online groups where you can get to know other writers. If you’re a new-ish writer, Absolute Write is a good place to start. You can participate in Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) which takes place during the month of November. They have an active forum section and can put you in touch with local writers who often meet up during the month for write-ins. You can follow your favorite authors on social media to see how they manage the writing and business side of things. You can also participate in writer blog hops like Weekend Writing Warriors with Teresa and me. I’ve met a bunch of wonderful authors through that group and it’s a lot of fun, too. J
 Finding your tribe is such an important and satisfying thing. I really wish I’d started looking sooner. 

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Eleri Stone is a RITA-nominated author of paranormal and fantasy romance. She was born in New Jersey, but now lives in Iowa with her husband and their three children. All of her stories have some element of speculative fiction in them and they all end with a happily-ever-after.


9 comments:

  1. Yes, beta readers and critique groups are such a bonus to the writer. They really help your writing develop. And also, the sense of community becomes a real support.

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    1. Yes! It was a surprise to me how wonderfully supportive most writing groups are and how willing people are to share knowledge and advice:)

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    2. I can't agree more. I've seen some competitive, even jealous type communities online, but not amongst writers. I'm always so proud to be part of that--and so glad I reached out to other writers.

      Great advice, Eleri.

      Thanks for visiting, Elizabeth!

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  2. I didn't reach out to the writing community until my first novel was done and (I thought) I was ready to query. You could say I found a critique group just in the nick of time.

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    1. :-) The important thing is that you found the group. I'm glad you reached out! Thanks for visiting. :-)

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    2. I didn't query my first novel, but it was probably more because I didn't know what to do with it than because I didn't think it was amazing. lol That one's going to remain buried.:)

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  3. great advice and the writing community is a very welcoming one

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  4. We are all way to close to our own work to be objective about it, and people close to us are likely to be uncritically supportive. It's vital to find people who'll say what we need to hear, rather than what we want to hear :)

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  5. Constructive critique is where it's at, for me. The first group I joined nailed me to the wall and left me hanging. WEWRIWA is a breath of fresh air. Good two cents, Eleri.

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