Fantasy / Sci Fi Writers Alliance

Another group that is newly formed this year and growing fast, is an alliance of Fantasy and Sci Fi writers from around the globe. We’ve been engaging in follow trains and lifts on Instagram and Twitter, forming a robust book club, hosting writing sprints, and helping each other with reading, resources, and tips. Recently, we started a short story competition. We meet and engage primarily in our Discord group. See my page on the Alliance to find out how to join.

AutoCrit

AutoCrit.com is a paid editing platform subscription, but I splurged on it, due to a recommendation from a friend. I do my own editing, and the tools offered on the platform have made all the difference. It’s easy to use, and even comes with a great text reader (Read Aloud) feature. Bonus… there is also a community, at certain subscription levels, consisting of moderators who are themselves writers and editors, and members who share in events, challenges, resources, and experiences. AutoCrit also provides in-depth writing classes.

Feed My Reads

One of the bonuses I did not anticipate as I waded out there in social media land was to find a reader base where communities like Feed My Reads and its popular Time to Feed My Reads Blog Spot hosted by founder Fraser, brings together a wealth of readers and writers eager to help each other. Fraser has been diligent in reaching out to the Writing Community on Twitter and elsewhere and inviting authors to an interview and a myriad ways to share and find other great writers. It just passed 65,000 views on Twitter! I posted my recent interview here.

Sign up to the newsletter, lay down a few bucks for coffee to help Fraser with the vast amount of work being done and check out all the great resources here. Follow Feed My Reads on all the social media platforms and get some conversations going.

Indie Presses

One of the truly delightful catalogs I’ve collected in the past year largely thanks to my communities are some fun Indie Presses who offer publishing opportunities through a variety of anthologies. See my page for a list of favorites and learn how to participate. Each one comes with a robust community of writers.

NaNoWriMo

Many authors are familiar with the online community based on National Novel Writing Month that comes around every November, popularly known as NaNoWriMo. If not check it out. This is a wonderful place to join writers striving to reach those word counts. The November goal is 50,000 words. There are two other challenges in Camp NaNoWriMo every April and July. I did it for the first time last November, and it was a blast. I reached my goal and have a great novel on the back burner as a result, plus it came with discounts on fabulous resources like Srivener. I hope to see you there!

NYCMidnight

This year was also the first time I participated in short story or flash fiction challenges. A friend told me last year about NYCMidnight.com, which was formed to give writers a place to hone their skills through flash fiction competitions in multiple genres and formats. The participants are sorted into groups and assigned subjects, genres, objects and other things, and the events all start at midnight New York City time on a Saturday. What a fun concept. The competitions are creative, fun, and yes… challenging! And the writing results from the thousands of participants has blown me away. If you want help to improve your skills, some great critiques (because each stage you participate in comes with a critique) and potential cash prizes, check out this community.

Writing Battle

Writing Battle is my latest delightful discovery. What a fantastic platform in which to hone one’s writing skills! The contests are designed to help writers get feedback from peers who judge stories in a series of duels. The stories in four genres progress through winning duels and end with professional writers judging the surviving stories. I just finished my first competition and got the best feedback on my writing, to date. I didn’t make it far, and frankly, I was surprised at some of the stories that did make it, but hey. It’s all subjective, right? Still, the feedback will definitely help me improve. I highly recommend trying it out. Winning stories earn cash prizes.

Reedsy

Here is a resource that I still need to tap for editors, readers, publishing advice etc. I know it’s packed with so many good things. More later as I explore all the offerings. Reedsy.com

In closing…

Each of the above has active social media groups, many on Facebook. Someday, when I have more time, I’ll attempt to point to more Facebook resources. As you might imagine, a lot of time can be spent visiting these communities, and you will want to focus on just one or two like me, but this is my attempt to show you the options. Someday, I might have time to expand my reach.

Please share in the comments if you have suggestions.