Three Reasons Writers Need a BFF

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director, Southern Writers Magazine


From Casper the Friendly Ghost to flying the friendly skies, from "You've Got a Friend" to "Friends are Friends Forever", everyone acknowledges the value of a good friendship.  But writers receive some unique, specific rewards from that coveted alliance.  Be a pal and check them out.

1. EXPOSITION 
In fiction, a writer's best friend can be the friend they give their protagonist.  Far from playing second fiddle in the story, a well-crafted companion can open the door for revealing interaction and dialogue. Instead of banging the audience over the head with facts, details conveyed comfortably in a conversation feel perfectly natural, and can even disguise their eventual importance to the story.

In Veronica Roth's blockbuster Divergent series, the first friend Tris makes when entering the intimidating new world she has chosen is Christina.  Roth cleverly chose to make Christina a "Candor", whose outspoken observations are a steady source of revelation and discovery.

2. ASSOCIATION
"No man is an island," said poet John Donne (whose name not only rhymes, but who gave us another famous saying in the same discourse, the one about for whom the bell tolls).  His point was, of course, that we are social creatures who need each other.  Those of us writers who thrive on creative isolation and would rather take a road trip to Alaska alone than attend a spouse's Christmas party may find it against the grain to do the people thing, but a good writers group is the ideal way to step off the island and get one's feet wet.

Communing one-on-one with others of the same intention is inspiring and eye-opening.  Besides sharing the contagious writing bug, the variety of fresh perspectives in a writers group is limited only by the the imaginations of the attendees.  If your group offers critique sessions, take advantage of them, and offer your own constructive criticism.  Friends don't let friends write junk.

To be an even steeper leaper into literacy, check out writers conferences. The many offered each year means there's one coming to a city near you.  An intensive weekend of focused enlightenment in the company of peers and professionals is something all serious writers should experience for themselves, and those who do it once will often become regular attendees. You'll find many of this year's conferences on the Southern Writers website at: 
http://www.southernwritersmagazine.com/2014-conferences.html 

3. COLLABORATION
If we're honest with ourselves, not all of us are meant to collaborate.  Depending on our personality type, we may indeed flourish in a literary partnership, or we may require the satisfaction of knowing every single word was our own.  But regardless of how we approach our prose, we are all collaborators in the sense that we learn from and echo each other.

One of my favorite collaborative teams is that of Lisa Wingate and Julie Cantrell. Highly-regarded authors in their own right, these longtime friends are an example of the support and productivity that like-minded wordsmiths can gain from one another.

Far from keeping this valuable gift all to themselves, they reach out to all writers via their Facebook page, The Writer's Jar, a place where you can take part in the writing conversation.  And we're very proud to announce that Julie and Lisa will now be allying with Southern Writers Magazine via a new feature debuting in the July issue, in which we get to eavesdrop on their private conversations with other leading authors.

As writers, we share the enviable mission of capturing the world as we see it and translating it for those who walk this earth with us. As C.S. Lewis said, "Friendship is born at the moment when one person says to another: 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one.'"

Working the Network

by Cheri Thacker

As writers, we all need to network. I tried several different writing groups in my area but found that they lacked one or more of the key components to adequately fulfill the networking definition.   

I gave up on my physical networking attempts and resorted to online networking on sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. My crumb snatchers laughed at me when I asked them how to “tweet” and my husband had to demonstrate how to use LinkedIn. In spite of their ever-changing format, I was able to handle Facebook on my own.

My networking goal was to promote my blog, find other like-minded individuals trying to develop a free-lance writing career, and to build a contact system that would include publishers and agents that might be interested in my novel once completed.  

I decided to search for the editor of a publication to which I had recently subscribed. We connected and I learned that she had an affiliation with a writers group in my area. An invitation was extended, but I felt my time was better served researching, studying, and writing from online prompts.  

In my newspaper column and blog, I write about real life situations that involve our blended family of six people, three dogs, and a feline. Comment after comment mentioned that my blog was humorous, and since I didn’t see a Shakespearean Tragedy Writers Group, I joined the Humor Writers Group on LinkedIn.

A few months after connecting with my editor acquaintance, I received an email from another blogger who saw a post of mine in the humor group. She lived near me, wrote a blog of the same type, and had written several articles for a local newspaper. She also attended the same writing group that had been mentioned.  

I decided this might be a sign that I should attend the writers group. I was surprised to learn that it filled my networking criteria. Now I have a writing group home. You don’t necessarily have to be a member of a writing group, but I would be so bold to say that networking in some form is essential.

Here are a few suggestions:

     1)  Join online groups.  The internet is smaller than you think and you can make local connections.

     2)  Try local writing groups in your area until you find one that is your cup of tea.  If you can’t find one, start one.

     3)  Have business cards printed with your blog or website information. Keep them on you at all times and hand them out when people ask what you do.

     4)  Search the web for opportunities to guest post.

     5)  Contact the editor of your local paper and ask if there are any opportunities to write for the publication as a special contributor.

Whether your career goals are fiction writing, newspaper article writing, or simply building a platform for all your endeavors, networking is easier than you think.  And it works.

Cheri Thacker resides in Bartlett, TN and writes a weekly humor column for her local newspaper.  She has also written several feature pieces for the publication.  She maintains a humor blog that can be found at www.crumbsnatchertales.com.  She is currently working on a mystery novel and a humor book that expands upon her column and blog.  She can be reached at mamabreadbaker@comcast.net.

Blogging with the Stars

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director

If you're a regular visitor to Suite T, you already know that we frequently feature guest bloggers, who represent the cream of the Southern writing crop.  But today we want to introduce you to some other outstanding writers you'll want to meet.

Great writers create great blogs, and great blogs deserve great readers.  That's why we've added a new feature to Suite T this week, our Blog List.  You can get to the list anytime via the link above, just under the Suite T header.

Some names will be familiar to you.  You'll see a mix of bestselling authors, writers groups, instructional blogs, and a variety of other worthy wordsmiths.  What they all have in common is a love for writing and the desire to exchange thoughts with other writers.  And each has proudly declared themself a Southern Writer.

Visit their blogs, follow all those that interest you, and participate in them by leaving comments on their daily posts.  When you do, not only do you support and encourage your favorite blogs, you also increase your own internet ranking.  Everyone wins.

If you're an author, or have a blog for writers, and would like to be added to the Suite T Blog List, do this. Add the fashionable "I'm a Southern Writer" button to your site's HTML using the code shown in the right-hand column on this page. That will help us find you. Better still, once you've added the button, drop up a line at staff@southernwritersmag.com for a quicker response and a thank you.  If you need technical help you can write to us there too.

Check out the new list now, and join the party yourself.  We love Southern writers, and we're here to promote you!