Maria Hypponen

“Writing is a solitary occupation. Family, friends, and society are the natural enemies of the writer. He must be alone, uninterrupted, and slightly savage if he is to sustain and complete an undertaking.” Jessamyn West

A few years back, I said good-bye to the hours-long commute, fast-food chains, and crowded shopping malls of southern Ontario, and hello to the small-town living, majestic mountain views, and independent spirit of the BC interior. I was making a cross-country move for love, work, and a two-year adventure.

Moving meant I had to say good-bye to my family, my friends…and my writing group. Or at least good-bye to our in-person meetings. I didn’t actually think it would be a big problem except for missing S’s guacamole, B’s mom’s carrot cake, and A’s Sun Chips. Not to mention the critiques and spontaneous conversation. As an introvert, I’m usually perfectly happy spending my time in my own company; and as a writer, I work best alone. As per the quote from Jessamyn West above, we writers generally need quiet and solitude to do our work. We tend to stay head-down, reading, writing, or imagining, absorbed in our own individual worlds.

But the truth was, I missed my writing buddies every day. I missed being able to connect with them IRL to talk through story ideas. I missed popping open a bottle of bubbly and hearing about their projects and challenges. I missed dragging them to author events at the library.

Adapting to virtual meetings was a bit of a struggle, and our first attempts were awkward to say the least. (This was pre-COVID, okay? We didn’t have today’s ease with virtual platforms. It was a different time.)

After one meeting where I bemoaned my lack of in-person community, I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself, and start making connections in my new town while still contributing to my writing group from afar. It took a bit of time and effort, but I was able to find local spaces and connections to motivate me on my creative journey.

I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who’s struggled with finding writing friends. Whether you’re an aspiring, emerging, or established writer, there are plenty of ways you can make connections with your fellow scribblers.

Here are some tips to help you find your community:

Get out of the house: Set up your laptop (or your notebook and pen) at a local café or pub. Wander around a bookstore. Skulk in the reference section of the library. Walk around prominently holding your copy of Steven King’s On Writing and be open to chatting with whoever comments. I made friends with the bartender at the pub across the street from my house, so I wouldn’t feel weird about settling in for a few hours of writing time at a corner of the bar. (Thanks for putting up with me, John!)

Participate in a group: There are virtual groups galore on social media and on platforms like Substack, some free and some on a paid subscription basis. Spend some intentional time checking out recommendations from people you already subscribe to or follow. You can also look for an in-the-flesh group that meets at a local coffee shop. How do you find them? Talk to the instructor and participants at a writing workshop, check the bulletin board at your local library, or ask the cashiers of your local indie bookstore. Otter Books in Nelson had a literal bulletin board where you could find local artistic events.

Join an association (or just sign up to read their newsletters): National organizations like the Canadian Authors Association and provincial ones like the Federation of BC Writers have oceans of resources available to members — and some you can tap into even if you’re not an official member. There are also genre-specific associations like Crime Writers of Canada, SF Canada, and the League of Canadian Poets. Options abound, so check out what’s in your area.

Volunteer: Those associations I just mentioned? Find out if they’re looking for people willing to lend a hand. Volunteering to sit on a board, help out at events, or take a turn as treasurer is a great way to network with people who are into the same stuff you are. Plenty of small and online publications need volunteer readers to sift through submissions. Reach out to your favourites and offer to help out.

Attend a conference or a workshop: Associations and schools often have their own annual big conferences, where you can hear from the rockstars of your genre and get to know your peeps. There are numerous independent conferences you could look into as well. One popular option in Canada is the Surrey International Writers Conference, which hosts impressive speakers from all over the world. The year I went, I rode the elevator with Diana Gabaldon and Jack Whyte! If big conferences are out of your budget (they aren’t cheap), see if your local library or college has any upcoming options.

Attend an event: Many communities host fun festivals for readers and writers. Word on the Street — a celebration of literacy and writing — is held annually in multiple cities across Canada. Other big events include the Ottawa International Writers Festival, the Toronto International Festival of Authors, and the Winnipeg International Writers Festival/THIN AIR – LIVRES EN FÊTE Festival. Smaller communities host their own events too. Nelson’s own Elephant Mountain Literary Festival is one of the best in Canada. Again, your local library is a great place to start.

Connect with authors: There are plenty of authors just like you who want to connect with readers and other writers. This is especially true for local authors who would love your support. Attend their book readings and signings, buy their books or read them on your library’s app, review their books on Amazon or Goodreads, sign up for their newsletters, and follow and engage with them on social media. Be friendly, respectful, honest, and helpful.

And finally:

Talk to people: Writers are everywhere. Don’t be shy about talking about your writing — you never know who else is also researching, writing, and dreaming big creative dreams in their spare time. Chances are, they want to talk to other writers too.

Happy connecting!

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