We all love spending time in the worlds that we’ve created for ourselves, but it can get a little lonely. Finding a great writing community is a crucial part of the learning process. Personally, I have found that almost anything worth doing can be done better with other people helping. At the very least, we can learn from each other. My own writing took off when I found my writing group because these good folks sort of forced me to keep writing consistently, and they gave me an audience that I had to answer to. Not to mention, they’ve become some of my favorite people.

Online Writing Communities

• #storysocial on Twitter, from Kristen Kieffer’s Well-Storied. Kristen tweets questions every week at 9 PM Eastern Time for writers to get a discussion going and swap ideas. It’s a lot of fun.
• The Inklings on Facebook, from Kaitlin Hillerich’s Ink and Quills.
• Authority Self-Publishing on Facebook, from Steve Scott, Barrie Davenport, and Ron Clendenin.
• Google+ writing communities generally hold a lot of promise, but in particular, I’ve found the Writers Discussion Group (WDG) to be pretty good. They’ve got writing prompts, editing help, information about writing conferences, and more.
• The Write Life Community on Facebook. (You can probably tell from everything on this site that I’m a fan of anything done by The Write Life.)
• Indie Author Group on Facebook, where independent writers can interact and get advice from each other.
• Writers on Facebook, where you can keep track of the latest news and insights on the writing industry.
• 10 Minute Novelists is a great place to get encouragement for your writing if you’re on a very tight schedule.

Online Writing Critique Groups

Hatrack River Writers Workshop

• Hatrack River is the official website of Orson Scott Card, where he and Kathleen Dalton Woodbury organize writing groups for getting feedback on your work.

Writers World

• A Facebook group for serious writers (as they put it) to get feedback on their work. No promotions or solicitations allowed.

Local Writing Groups

• MeetUp is a great way to find writer groups in your community (and other groups too). Seriously, this website is gold.
• Go to your local library and ask about writing groups they might have. Alternatively, you can also google it.
• Check out bulletin boards at bookstores (used and chain bookstores) and cafés. You might find some gems there.
• Local conventions, conferences, and events can help you meet writers of all backgrounds and experience levels, as well as agents, editors, and publishers. Keep an eye on your local bookstore, and google events in your area.

I’m always adding to this page. If you have suggestions for great writing communities that should be on here, please contact me. I’d love to check them out.