8 Top Writing Communities You Should Join and Why

Let me tell you a secret, despite the way writers are depicted in popular culture, they actually get lonely. Imagine this; you’re working on a one-person project, can you keep yourself in check, remain motivated and accountable to the task? I’m not going to lie; it won’t be easy.

However, writing doesn’t have to be a solo process. We don’t mean that you need someone to write with you, but the right kind of support can do wonders to your approach to writing. Though, finding the right community for might not seem like an easy task, we’re here to simplify the process for you.

Here are eight top writing communities you should join and why.

Critique Circle

Critique Circle has been active since 2013 and is currently one of the oldest online writing communities. Just imagine the collective level of experience on the platform. The site was created to offer authors a place to give and receive feedback. Hence, it operates in the form of a credit system, which allows members to use these credits to submit their projects to the platform for other members to critique.

What’s more, there are several forums, practical writing tools, and a submission tracker, among other tools that every writer needs to grow. And remember, the more you critique, the more privileges you get. For instance, a member who is active in critiquing other members’ submitted works, gets the chance to form a private critique group. It’s up to you to join and grow.

Writers.com

Writers.com, established in 2000, is an online community of writers, with the most significant number of users. It is a long-established creative atmosphere for writers. So as you would expect, there are hundreds of tools and opportunities for writers. Moreover, this platform never gets old. There are hundreds of new users signing up daily. Likewise, the list of genres is growing with over 100 kinds.

Add to that a much needed peer-to-peer reviews section, and multiple forums that foster a high degree of social interactions for all users. Moreover, there are over twenty types of elements, which can be created, shared, and used to improve a member’s writing. For example, there’s a single-page option for essays, poetry, and short stories, while books and other projects get multi-page options.

Absolute Write Water Cooler

For the writer looking for a community of fellow writers, editors, and publishing professionals, Absolute Write is the forum for you. The only requirement for joining the community is an interest in fiction, non-fiction, play and screenwriting, poetry, blogs, songwriting, and even greeting cards. It can’t get any better, that’s a low barrier of entry.

But that’s not all, there’s more! AWWC also has sections for book promotions, calls for submissions, and works for hire, among other useful resources. As for the essential part, the site has a writing lab for song, poetry, and flash fiction writing. And if that wasn’t enough, there are writing exercises and prompts readily available on the site. They’re of great help for people starting off their writing journeys or just going through writer’s block.

Reddit /r/write

You ought to have seen this one coming. Reddit /r/write is famous for writing-related insights and feedback, which the online community enjoys. Members benefit from skill-based help, constructive criticism, and mind-blowing exposure from amateur to professional works. The community hosts both fiction and non-fiction writers, so consider yourself at home.

Strictly speaking, the unique feature to tempt you to join this community is the number of reading-related forums it hosts. Think about it; you could receive first-hand feedback from readers who’ll critique your work. In a nutshell, these subreddits mainly relate to book reviews, reading recommendations, topic discussions, and a discussion on literature with a fine arts approach. How’s that for a successful career? Now go over there and join!

Scribophile

Are you ready for authentic, constructive, and professional criticism of your work? Then Scribophile is the place for you. Don’t forget that the main idea is to join a community of like-minded individuals to advance your career and grow your audience. Scribophile should be your last stop before publishing your project. Why? The Scribophile writing community is famous for critiquing each other. You get to earn Karma points every time you critique someone else’s work.

Things can get any better, right? Wrong. Members also have the opportunity to participate in contests with a $225 prize pool, for first, second, and third place winners. Also, Scribophile’s blog provides writers with interviews, advice, announcements, free resources, among other things. While the basic membership is open, the yearly fee for a premium account is $65.

The Hatrack River Writers Workshop

To those who want to pose questions about writing but don’t have writer friends to ask, the Hatrack River Writers Workshop will be the perfect place for you. Imagine what it would be like to have the backing of an online, active community of writers to respond to all your questions. Moreover, you’ll get access to several resources, peruse multiple forums, and collaborate with other members on future projects.

In a nutshell, the Hatrack River Writers Workshop can be regarded as a social media platform for writers. So basically, when you’re done with a project, you can post it on the platform and receive feedback from your peers in the fragments and feedback section. How can any other writers’ community beat that?

She Writes

What can be more exciting than being part of a community of people you share a passion with? A community of people of the same gender. She writes is all about girl power. The community boasts a membership of over 300,000 members. After all, this is the most significant writing community launched exclusively for women. Beyond that, you can get skill-based help with your writing, editing, and marketing for your work.

Moreover, there are experts in lots of genres and forums tailored to meet the needs of female writers. So, women can connect with other fellow writers and learn from each other. Go sign up!

Underlined

Last but not least, we’ll talk about why Underlined is the best community for writers out there. First of all, it is a writing community by Penguin Random House. Above all, it is perfect for young authors. Though it’s not exclusive to young authors as others of all ages can also find resources on the website. Sometimes all you need is a community of peers to help you grow your skills. Hence, the site provides users with genre-specific resources, information on book releases, a forum with established authors, and many giveaways and excerpts as perks for active membership. Indeed, this is the best community for young and aspiring authors.

Conclusion

As a writer, joining an online community of writers is the best step to take to improve your skills. Constructive criticism, valuable feedback support, and advice from peers can help grow your career. Moreover, interacting with fellow writers can serve as a source of inspiration, thereby boosting your mood and motivation. These are eight top writing communities you should join and why you should remain active to improve yourself and grow a career. Now make it happen.

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