Finding Your Community

We’ve been talking a lot lately what your life would look like if you were a writer: how to put steps in place to create that identity as a writer, figuring out what you need to do, practically, to get yourself into the writing.

Here’s another video to help you think about the next step: Finding Your Community.

If you haven’t gone through the Creative Challenge Workbook yet, do that now.

Your Support Network

I truly believe that one of the best things you can do to reshape your identity as a writer (from someone who wishes they were a writer, to someone who is a writer) is to put yourself in a community of people who are committed to going through a crazy creative outburst with you.

Obviously I think you should find yourself a posse of writing buddies and obviously I think you should find them a StoryADay!

The Week 2 Drop-Off

I’ve been running StoryADay since 2010 and a lovely community has developed in the blog comments, but last year I decided that wasn’t enough. 

You see, I’d noticed that in the second week of the challenge, a lot of people fall away.

I worry about them. I worry about them falling back into that spiral of discouragement where they see themselves ‘failing’ again and turning away from their writing.

And often, I didn’t know how to reach them to bring them back to their goals.

Staying Connected

So I formed Superstars.

It’s a tighter, more committed group of writers with their own area at the site, where they can get to know each other. 

In Superstars we have:

• A private portal at the site, for comments.
• Extended video explainers and written version of the daily writing prompt during the challenge,
• Weekly video hangouts during the challenge to discuss writing and do some writing sprints,
• A private Slack channel, (it’s like instant-messaging-meets-private-social-media) for support and sprints on-the-go,
• An opportunity to go through it all again in September
• Monthly meetings for 12 months to discuss writing and do writing sprints.
• A NaNoWriMo support group,
• Deep discounts on the critique groups and other workshops.
• A sense of accountability to each other (your own private cheerleading squad!)
• A diverse community of writers at various stages to turn to for support, information, and questions.

The free version of StoryADay will continue to exist, with daily prompts and a place for you to leave comments, but I’m encouraging you to think about whether you could use a little something extra to help you take the next step into your identity and practice as a fulfilled, prolific writer.

The Superstars Experience

Here are some videos to give you a peek inside the newly-revamped Superstars portal. And keep scrolling to read what current Superstars have to say.  

What Superstars Are Saying

Here’s what some of last year’s Superstars had to say about their experience.

(You can find the full interviews here.)

Tammy Breitweiser

Before StoryADay, I was writing frequently, but missing a critical component – finishing.

The Superstars have changed my idea of how valuable a writing community is. There is camaraderie and a bond with people who you are accountable to every day. Critique is nice, but not always the conversation I want to have.

Now, I am writing every day. I am submitting. I am published.

My first StoryADay (in 2011, I looked it up) came a few years after I started to take my writing seriously. I had not yet had anything published.  

Eight years later, I have had more than a handful of short stories published and I have a novel about ready to send to potential publishers (and am well into another). My writing practice has greatly matured.

This community has always felt supportive and welcoming. It has provided me with external accountability, which I rely on. All in all, it’s just a great place. 

Before StoryADay, I was alone and didn’t even know I was on a journey.

I knew I wanted to write, needed to write, that everything in my life went better when I was writing. What I didn’t know was that I was the only one from whom I needed permission to take the time EVERY DAY to write.

Superstars gave me a place to be a writer and a community of writers who support me in my process regardless of what that looks like on any given day.

I feel whole and connected.

I have finished story drafts of various sizes in various genres! It feels amazing. I couldn’t have this without signing up for STADA every year.

It is so good to feel part of a warm, generous and contributive community… it breaks me out of shyness – which is an important part of learning to share your work with people.