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Well, hi there! Today I'm sharing about finding a writing squad or crew or battalion of badasses—whatever you may call the other writers who've got your back and you've got theirs.
Writing can often seem like a very lonely endeavor since it's just you, your screen or notebook and pen, and your story. But, it doesn't have to be. There are several places to find fellow writers if you don't already know any. You simply need to know where to look.
A place to start could be social media sites like Twitter or Instagram (careful not to let those sites eat up your time!), but there are also writing organizations and associations like the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Romance Writer's of America (RWA) (there might be international chapters too), and there may even be specific ones to your state—Wisconsin has one called Wisconsin Writers Association—where you may be able to find some critique groups (and starting points for your squad). The associations often have membership fees, though.
The first part of my squad I actually found through MeetUp back in 2011 with my sister Sarah. While I'm not sure how much of a thing MeetUp is any longer, it was a nice way to find local writers. I was nervous about going, but glad I went (I can be pretty shy). Until the pandemic, we met in a coffee shop weekly—we actually moved 4 (or was it 5?) times throughout the years due to shops changing their hours. Now we meet online every Wednesday and critique each other's work. The group started MUCH bigger, but eventually settled down to some pretty regular members (shout out to Rosie, Harry, David, Danielle, and Sue!) and others I hope to drag back (*cough* Andrew *cough*). Many members have even moved out of state or even out of country, but we keep at it.
I met my second squad in 2019 during Writer-In-Motion's first event (thank you, Jeni!). There were more in the group to begin with, but it quickly whittled down to who I dub the OG WiM crew: Belinda, Jessica, Kathryn, SK, Thuy, Paullete, Kristen, Susan, HM, Maria, Sheryl, Justine, and JM. We don't all exchange stories, but do help where we can with query suggestions, working on pitches, and all around being moral support. We celebrate wins—and let me tell you, many of the group members have had some amazing wins—and surround each other with love and support during the losses. Throughout, we're each other's cheerleaders, for sure. I have found some wonderful critique partners in there too.
But guess what, with both, we are also there for each other outside of writing and I think, at least for me, that's an important part of it all too. Writing isn't all of who you are after all. (Also, it's really hard to make friends as adults... so the shared interest in growing as a writer helps!)
My entire squad has helped me grow so much as a writer, which is exactly what I need and want as I continue on the path to finding an agent and hopefully getting traditionally published. That path seems like it's going to be stretching on a while longer, so I'm even gladder to have my squad.
Your squad doesn't have to be big. It can be you and one other writer. Support comes in all sizes. Squads also come with different levels of engagement—you don't have to have a squad where you share your life outside of writing like I've got because everyone is different.
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you're able to find a squad, crew, or battalion of badasses, too. Take care, writer, you're doing great!