The Importance of Having Friends Who Write

[image error]It’s summer break, but like during the school year, I’ve been very busy. I have a summer job, and so it’s been difficult to find time to write, and especially difficult to find the motivation to do so. I haven’t written in a little while for this reason (and I definitely need to!) but at the start of the summer, I actually wrote a lot. And this had a lot to do with one of my friends who also writes.

My friend is currently working on a story on Wattpad. It’s very well written, and you can tell she enjoys writing it. It’s set in World War II, and on the way to work in the mornings, we’d listen to some CDs she had of WWII-era music. This led to conversations about her book, and this made me think about mine. Whenever she would talk about her project, it inspired me to write, too.

We worked together for a few weeks, and we would carpool to work and then home afterwards. It was just the two of us in the car, and we talked all the time, especially about writing. This constant exposure to writing made me want to write all the time. I’d get home and go write, or I’d write on my break. It was incredibly helpful just being with a friend who wanted to talk about writing.

Writing friends can also help you brainstorm, like when my other friend helped me figure out the plot for my newest project. We spent a few hours talking about my idea, and this also led to a conversation about the story she’s working on, too. Sometimes just talking about writing is enough to make you want to write.

I’ve also had friends volunteer to help me edit my books, and I’ve worked on editing theirs. Both people benefit, and it’s fun to have a part in helping shape their final versions of their stories.

Whenever I need someone to talk to about writing– if I’m stuck, or something great has happened– I text or call one of them. After I sent my first queries a while ago, I called one of my friends and freaked out over the phone, because it was such a big deal and I was incredibly nervous.

It’s so important to have friends who write, because they inspire you to write as well!

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