Do you write purely for yourself or do you write to connect with others? From the thousands of replies to Why I Write at the start of The Complete Freelance Writing Course, it’s apparent that 95% ish of you write to connect with others. ‘Only connect’ as EM Forster said: ‘ Only connect the prose and the passion, and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its height.’

Now you may be wondering what this has to do with trainspotting poets. Well, a week ago I went to the launch of the Train Of Thought poetry anthology in Cardiff, a most inspiring and endorsing community event. Poets ranged from 8 to 80, read on behalf of each other or for themselves, and the room was filled with warmth, appreciation and fun. You sensed the question most people there asked was: how can I connect to this poem and poet? It’s not just poetry we ask this about, but all writing. Like the train network, as readers we constantly seek points of connection.

If you’d like stronger points of connection as a writer, then here are some community-building questions:

Where do you hang out as a writer?

While you may have become a writer largely because of your ‘hell is other people’ nature, actually shifting out of your favourite writing habitat can be a revelation. Libraries, literary events, workshops, museums and classes can all help you grow your community. If there’s not much happening in your local area, then you may want to host a ‘write-in’ where writers gather to quietly work then chat, or a book banter session, to compare notes together.

In places where hospitality businesses are currently struggling, then you may find a request for a room or space will be most welcome – and free. Your library may act as a welcome host, too.

And online

A couple of months ago, I went to an excellent online workshop by https://x.com/alicemjslater, author of Death Of A Bookseller, and copywriter. Her advice included these suggestions:

* If you hate social media, don’t do it, and don’t let it take up valuable writing time. If you do like it and see it as an opportunity to connect, build community and get opportunities, then choose one platform that you enjoy the most, and then maybe extend this to two or three.

*Think about how you manage time. Long form video for You Tube for instance may be too demanding, but short video which you use on instagram and tik tok may be doable. Alice suggested Threads as a good network for self-publishers and writers supporting writers.

*Be consistent, personable, positive and don’t make yourself the main character in your social media content. Ask genuine questions rather than ‘engagement farming’, asking questions just for the sake of getting reactions.

This workshop was hosted by the Salon at Mislexia, who also host online write-ins.

Who are you learning from?

Alice described Twitter as a legacy platform now, but reminded us that many writers, readers and book publishing professionals are still there. It’s a good place to hear about events and submission opportunities.

Rather than actively putting out content, you may prefer to learn from newsletter creators, of which there are now many, especially on Substack which is a newsletter network. I don’t subscribe to substack, but there are some amazing writers there including George Saunders.

Another way of getting to know more writers is through an accountability project like Namowrimo or https://www.napowrimo.net/, where you take up a writing challenge and then share your work and responses in community blogs. Free and terrifically supportive opportunities to make new connections.

The 1000 words of summer accountability project is due to start on the 1st June – and I may well see you in there.

Who And What Do You Support?

Can you become a champion or even activist for causes linked to literacy, your subject matter, genre or location maybe? Or – if that sounds daunting – can you endorse and share other champions and activists? Your local bookshop may be delighted that you’d like to support them in some way, a local charity may be thrilled that you’re keen to come and talk to them.

Sharing useful information and updates for other writers will always be appreciated. Whenever a writer says that they hate marketing, I always wonder if they do this…

Where’s Your Fun?

‘Oh I’d love to be in their gang’ is a sentiment familiar to many of us, perhaps especially when we’re teenagers. Which is why many of the most attractive writers share their personal lives mixed with their professional ones. Where they write, what they drink, what they’re reading, what books they love, other writers they admire, their dogs! their cats!! their bookshelf shelfies…even their secret vices…what gives you fun and pleasure may give the same to others. Use filters here for your mental health – and because I’ve an old-fashioned belief in something called a writer’s life of the mind, best usually not shared.

To finish, here’s an excellent article on building your writing community – and an image of what we poet train spotters produced! ( thanks to Eve, Kerry, Bob, Zoe and other facilitators for this). If you’re travelling by train in South Wales this summer, you’ll get a chance to read it.