Live To Write Another Day by Dean Orion (free ebooks for android .txt) 📕

still start at the highest level of the concept and work my way down to the details. In his case, he’s actually writing an entire fleshed-out scene before he’s even done a stitch of research or made a single note about his idea.

The thing that has always struck me about this particular writer friend of mine is the ease with which he blindly follows his instincts. The openness that he allows himself in his process, the fearless, optimistic way that he experiments with ideas is just tremendous. And while the form it takes for him—actually writing the scene with no context—is not something that would work for me, the concept behind it, the exploratory element, is certainly a very important aspect of my process as well.

 Cultivating Community

Besides all the shop talk, there are so many other ways that simply connecting with other writers can pay valuable dividends. It exposes you to resources, like interesting classes, books, and seminars to help educate yourself. It helps you find great environments to work in. For example, I heard about The Writers Junction, the place where I go to write almost every day now, through a writer friend of mine.

Your extended writer community is also how you will find good note givers (writers and non-writers alike), producers and directors to collaborate with, and agents and managers who could potentially represent you. You might even find a great writing partner to work with if you’re engaged with a community of writers.

By far the greatest benefit to cultivating this community around you is that it allows you to talk about your stories on a level only other writers can appreciate, and in a way that reveals who you truly are. When you share your ideas with other writers you are saying to them: “Check this out. This is what turns me on as an artist!” And the mere act of doing so proves your worth. It’s how you plant your flag as someone who belongs in this community and inspires others to do the same. That kind of energy and vitality is contagious and can easily spread like wildfire—which is exactly what we all need in order to become better storytellers.

 Writing Groups

One of the best ways to cultivate a writer community around you is to form or join a writing group. What you do with this group is get together on a regular basis to give each other notes and help improve each other’s work. In other words, you basically create your own writing class, except that there is no teacher and no institution behind it. Typically groups like this consist of about five to ten writers, all of whom must be serious enough about their careers to commit not just to the meetings, but to all the reading each member must do in order for the group to be valuable. As I explained in Chapter 7, giving good notes takes a considerable amount of work, and if you’re going to have any hope of doing it well, you have to be willing to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty right alongside the fellow writer(s) you’re trying to help.

It’s also important for all the writers in the group to be somewhat compatible in terms of talent level, craft, and professional experience. This is easier said than done, particularly when it comes to getting the right mix of personalities. If you’re lucky enough to assemble a committed bunch of people and create a productive, healthy dynamic, it can be a truly wonderful and empowering experience. The secret to creating that special chemistry is to find quality writers who are also willing to become quality note givers, and who understand that by investing their time and energy in others, they’re also investing in themselves.

(To learn more about the online community for writers I’m currently developing please visit www.thewritergene.com.)

SURVIVAL GUIDE SUMMARY

14. The Write Community

Things to Remember:

 

•To whatever extent possible, make every effort to surround yourself with a community of other writers throughout every stage of your career.

•Writers need other writers not just for moral support, but also for the exchange of energy and ideas.

•Your community of writers is your umbilical cord to numerous resources, potential collaborators, and representatives.

•Being part of a community of writers helps you express who you are as an artist.

•One of the best ways to cultivate a community of writers is to start or join a writing group.

Questions to Ask Yourself:

 

•Do you know any writers who are as serious about writing as you are? Who are they? Make a list.

•Have you ever sat down and had an in-depth conversation about process with these writers? How are your processes different?

•Is there anything these other writers do that you might experiment with? Anything useful that you think you might be able to incorporate into your process?

•What aspects of your process can you share with them?

•Do you know five to ten other writers who might make a good writing group? Do you know of any existing writing groups that you might be able to join?

15. Live to Write Another Day

As I discussed in the previous chapter, among the many things I truly cherish about being a writer are the bonds of friendship and camaraderie I’ve forged over the years with other writers. On a practical level, these bonds are an important way to learn and grow, as even the most casual conversation with a writer friend can spark a new idea or shed some light on a frustrating problem. On another level, they’re like comfort food, a reminder that we’re not alone, that we have brethren out there toiling in the trenches. On an even deeper level, I believe these bonds are the result of a much more powerful impulse, that as creative storytellers we are bound together by a higher purpose, a calling to be the cultural record keepers of our generation.

Now that you’ve gotten to know me a little bit, I’m sure you understand how passionate I am about this calling,