Day 9 - Connect

Sorry this is a couple days late.  I had a very busy day on Friday and I spent yesterday trying to recover, but I wanted to get this posted before tomorrow's continuation.

Day 9 is all about connecting

Jeff tells us that great writers connect with other writers. Because before they were great, they were mediocre. They had to meet someone who inspired them, someone they aspired to be.
True networking is simply connecting with people.

He goes on to tell us about three relationships you’ll need as writers:
Friends
Fans
Patrons

To further detail each of these connections, Jeff goes on to explain:

Making friends
Find those who are pursuing your same craft, those of like mind, and get together with them. Buy a fellow writer coffee or lunch. Hang out, commiserate, enjoy each other’s company. These relationships should be mutually beneficial.

Finding fans
He tells us that in order to find friends, you help people. You take something that is obvious to you (but not to others) and you generously share it with the world.
Do this over and over again in different ways until you find one that resonates with people. If you haven’t already found it, knowing your voice is pretty important to this. Take some time to figure out why people would listen to you, then say what you have to say. Say it boldly, and the fans will come.

Earning patrons
This is the hardest part. It’s also the most important relationship you could make in your journey to becoming a great writer. These people — leaders and influencers in your industry — will help you grow your platform and get your message heard.

You have to earn it:
By demonstrating your competencies.
By serving someone else first.
By making a big ask.

The challenge
Find a potential fan, friend, and patron (one of each) and reach out to them. Today. Don’t ask for anything but this person’s time.

What’s an example of someone you’ve connected with? How did they help you?


I spend so much time with Blogger that I have neglected to get to know my local writing community.  I am planning to get more involved in the local libraries, sign up for classes, workshops, etc and meet others in my own community.  However, if anyone in the blogging community would like a critique partner I would be happy to volunteer.