I’m excited to have author Regina Buttner share her wisdom on joining a professional writing organization. Part of the DOWN A BAD ROAD blog tour.
When I first began working on my debut novel Absolution several years ago, I didn’t realize how much I had to learn about the craft of writing or the complicated business of publishing until I attended the annual Writers Digest conference in New York City. At that point in my long journey toward authorhood, I had read countless magazine articles and blog posts about how to construct a solid story arc, how to create compelling characters, and how to infuse my story with emotion and conflict that would keep my future readers enthralled; but beyond that, I had no idea how much was involved in the process of becoming an author, from researching and querying agents, to pre-launch marketing and reviews, to managing my social media feed. The only writers I knew personally at the time were the classmates I’d met in my writing workshops, and the extent of my social media presence was an occasional post about my kids on Facebook, where I had perhaps a dozen followers.
Fortunately, the fellow writers I met at the Writers Digest conference were extremely friendly, and more than willing to share their knowledge and experience with a newbie like me. One afternoon, as I was waiting for my next session to start, a thirtyish woman chose a seat near mine, and we struck up a conversation. When I told her I’d been working on a manuscript for the past year, she asked what the genre was. “Um,” I said, “I’m not sure yet. Maybe women’s fiction?” My new acquaintance listened to my plot description, and agreed with my tentative assessment. Then she asked if I was a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. I told her I was not, and hadn’t ever heard of it. I wasn’t aware that such a thing as a “writers association” even existed!
This lovely woman wasn’t fazed by my ignorance, however. She kindly jotted the name of the organization on a slip of paper, and I promptly copied it into my notebook, with a big star next to the entry. After returning home from the conference, I looked up the WFWA on the web, and pored over their website. To my delight, I discovered they offered every resource a budding writer could need, from the early drafting stage to publication and beyond. The best part for me was the private Facebook group, in which I was able to ask endless questions about my writing-related dilemmas, and received numerous helpful, candid responses. The support was incredible!
The comradeship and support that I received through my membership in the WFWA was essential to my ability to persevere through the arduous querying stage, and I eventually secured my first publishing contract. I have since gone on to switch genres from women’s fiction to domestic suspense, but the networking connections I made through the WFWA remain invaluable. I am now a proud member of the International Thriller Writers, as well as my local chapter of Sisters in Crime, and I fully intend to pay it forward as I forge new connections with my fellow authors.
Add Down a Bad Road to your Goodreads TBR list or purchase a copy at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Bookshop.org.