Writing can be toilsome.
It’s an activity, profession, or hobby that requires focus, creativity, and commitment and it’s usually done alone. Many authors face burnout, self-doubt, and creative blocks while writing short stories, poems, and novels, and wonder how to regain their initial motivation or how to trigger new inspiration.
Here are seven online communities and resources made to motivate, challenge, and cheer on authors like you. These are some of the best author platforms online because they are…
- Nonprofits committed to turning people who like words into published authors
- Digital databases buzzing with ideas and methods for improving writing technique and sparking new ways of thinking
- Places where it’s okay to complain about what a totally underwhelming and dreadful nightmare chapter 11 is turning out to be
- Online hubs where you can ask other authors to review your work (i.e. the underwhelming, dreadful chapter 11) and ask for their suggestions, edits, and improvements
If any of the above sound like they could give you that extra motivation you need, then keep reading!
First off, is that a real word? Well, it’s really more of an acronym! NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month and is a program that helps authors rally together to complete their manuscripts, with a particularly strong push in the month of November.
How does it work? Authors set their goal for the month (typically 50,000 words) and can write directly on NaNoWriMo’s platform, which tracks their progress over the 30-day sprint. As NaNoWriMo puts it on their website, “For 30 wild, exciting, surprising days, you get to lock away your inner editor, let your imagination take over, and just create!”
This online platform for new and veteran authors has exploded in popularity, with over 500,000 participants in 2020. And if you’d like to wake up on December 1st with a complete manuscript, maybe you should join next year.
Because NaNoWriMo is a nonprofit organization, joining is free. Obviously, this platform’s most active month is November, but NaNoWriMo has year-round support for authors including virtual workshops, a blog jam-packed with writing advice, pep talks from successful writers, an inspirational Instagram feed (@nanowrimo), and live, in-person communal writing events across the globe.
What if you could join a wonderfully friendly and helpful community of writers and receive edits and critiques on your work for free? On Scribophile’s basic profile, you can.
Here’s how it works: Scribophile works on a karma point system, meaning when you critique others’ work, you earn points to post your own novels and novellas. Many online writing communities use similar token-based economies to incentivize users to critique one another’s work, and this method works pretty well!
Scribophile does more than connect readers for critiques, it also provides practical writing advice and tips for getting published. This platform has a wide array of author resources, like the professional writing academy and writing forums. They also regularly host contests, which is a great way for up-and-coming talent to gain more exposure.
As their website claims: “We’re the writing group to join if you want to find beta readers, get the best feedback around, learn how to get published, and be a part of the friendliest and most successful writing workshop online.”
Okay, okay, we know there are a lot of writing-specific blogs out there. But ProWritingAid’s is one of our very favorites. Here’s why...
ProWritingAid is a free software plug-in for writers that catches all those pesky little grammatical errors and makes genuinely helpful style suggestions. Their blog is written by writers and is a goldmine of grammatical tips and genre-specific writing advice.
To find their blog, visit their website, click the ‘Learn’ tab, and find ‘Blog’ in the dropdown menu (or click the link above). You’ll notice seven different categories of blog posts—novelists will likely learn the most from ‘The Writing Process’ and ‘Grammar Rules’.
The Writing Process: “These posts are full of great tips and techniques that will help you develop your narrative, create compelling characters, build your world, and much more.”
Grammar Rules: “We aim to offer clear, simple explanations for some of the more difficult grammatical topics...Once you’re confident on what the rules are, you’ll know exactly how and when to break them.”
4. Reedsy
Most authors and lit lovers know of Reedsy, the online self-publishing platform. But if you’re not reading their blog posts, you’re totally missing out on one of this site’s best offerings!
The Reedsy blog motivates and guides authors who are looking to publish their novels. It’s split into five categories: Book Design, Book Marketing, From our Authors, Perfecting Your Craft, and Reedsy News. Once you’res ready to publish, I’d recommend you dip into the first two categories. But while you are still in the throes of writing, “Perfecting Your Craft” will be your most helpful ally.
This blog category is almost entirely short and punchy listicles with practical writing advice. Some are genre specific (i.e. “6 Fantastic Tips for Writing Stellar Science Fiction”) while others aim to kindle general inspiration (i.e. “50+ Book Ideas (and 10 Ways to Find Even More!)”). We highly recommend this blog to both old and new writers!
5. Facebook Groups
Remember at the beginning when we mentioned online communities where it’s okay to vent, ask questions, and beg for suggestions? Well here we are.
- The Write Life Community: With over 30,000 members, this is a hugely active online hub! Best parts: the openness members feel to post simple and complex questions and the welcoming, non-judgemental atmosphere on the page.
- Writers Helping Writers: This Australia-based Facebook page is created for discussion. Best part: with less than 10,000 members, it’s less crowded than other platforms and it feels easier to be heard.
- 10 Minute Novelist: Created for ‘time-crunched writers’, this Facebook group is perfect for shattering writers’ block. Best part: with about 16,000 members, you’re sure to find interesting ideas and fascinating tid-bits of stories here.
Please note that none of these groups are for self-promoting one’s novels, however each does aim to help you become a novelist.
In Summation
Stuck? Lost? Exhausted? Don’t know where to start? NaNoWriMo, Scribophile, ProWritingAid, Reedsy, and writer-specific Facebook groups are here to offer compelling ideas, advice, and motivation—making them the best author platforms online!