On Living in a Vacuum ...

Writers can't output without input. That's a given. But so many places / people say that you MUST do the writerly thing--take a class, join a group, or patronize a web site--in order to be a writer.

To those people, I say bullshit.

You see, I've done the class thing. Yes, I learned a bit from the raw process of writing and the critiques I recieved, but I wouldn't say that anything I learned couldn't be learned anywhere else. A class is only as good as its teacher, and while there are exceptional teachers out there, no one teacher is right for every writer. Some teachers are flat-out wrong for a particular writer.

I've also done the reading thing. While it provides a social outlet among writerly types, it's not essential. I've met some facinating people at readings. I've also fallen asleep. Does attending readings make you more visible in the "literary" clique in your town? Absolutely. Will that get you published? Not unless you're submitting to their literary magazines. So, while attending readings may be fun, it's not essential. You might be better off getting a copy of your community's reading schedule and reading the books written by the guests of honor. Or go for the wine and cheese with a show thrown in. Or stay home and write. It's your call.

As to online groups--yes, they can help. But only if you're the type of person who can swallow other pople's angst and political shenanigans and idoits throwing gas on hot flames. Quite honestly, there are many, many blogs out there that will give the novice writer the advice s/he can get from these online groups. There are also books on writing, books on submitting, and books on living the writing life. Some of those same books say to get involved in the literary community. Take everything you read with a grain of salt.

What you DO need is a good reader. You also need to hone your reading skills. You need to be able to tell that your work still needs polished. You need to be able to tell where your lofty ideas didn't make it to the page. That takes practice. It may also require a clue x 4 to the side of the head a few times by your reader.

You also need very thick skin. It's not about the writer, it's about the work. When your reader(s) say that they don't get your protag's motivation in scene x, that's what they mean. You don't suck, your work just needs more attention. Listen to what others say. Let your manuscript sit for a week, a month, or a year. Then come back to it with fresh eyes.

Living your literary life doesn't mean that you have to live the sterotypical literary life. I must keep reminding myself of this little fact. Over and over again.