The Writers Circle
Community, support, and education for writers.
Back in 1995, when I first allowed myself to entertain the idea of trying to “become a writer” (a process and result I could not define), I didn’t know any writers, didn’t know how publishing worked, thought writing was just something you could do or not do and had no concept of how to start—and then, how to get better.
Fortunately for me, this era of my life coincided with the ubiquitous presence of Compuserve, Prodigy, and AOL CD-ROMs in the mail. I found an odd assortment of online writing communities where I could share my goals and dreams, and where I learned so much about how to become this thing I could barely define. This was long, long before the inundation of ads, algorithms, and the general “here comes everybody” problem of being online.
Now, of course, the Internet is hardly a novelty. And it’s a great way to deliver information, including information about publishing and improving your writing. In fact, we have the opposite problem we once had, because now there’s a firehouse of this information and a million people to “connect” with. But how do you know which information to trust? How do you find or create a network of committed writers, not just “followers” and “mutuals”? How do you keep from getting sidetracked by ads, suggestions, infinite scroll, and a barrage of news when what you’re looking for is a little help with your query?
What about published writers?
I also think of the need for connections among professional writers—something better than networking that doesn’t leave us floating around in our individual IG bubbles, firing messages into the void. How are we surviving the middles of our careers? How do we navigate changing houses, changing categories, changing experiences? Where can we share our expertise and also receive mentorship from those further along?
I built The Writers Circle in efforts to streamline and focus on all of this kind of information and support.
Where It Lives
Some things I heard in the R&D phase of this project about what writers are looking for:
“Community is the biggest thing. Just having a couple of people who will keep me accountable and who I can walk with in their writing.”
“I’d love to see more for seasoned writers. Ways to really refine their craft.”
“It’s hard to maintain a sense of community when the courses end. It is also easy to develop a sense of dependency on a coach or mentor or agent. Right now I’m working on developing the confidence to be my own authority, if that makes sense.”
These are just a few of the comments that have continued to shape my vision for the Writers Circle. Community is the first focus at launch phase I, through facilitated, topical discussions and member events, growing into learning for writers at all levels through facilitated workshops and course curriculum, with the ultimate goal of all writers developing that inner authority about our voice and creative vision.
🚨 Are you reading this before August 25, 2025? You’re getting a sneak peek! You may go through the joining process now to get a head start, but you won’t be able to complete the final steps until the 25th. That will also be the start date of your membership if you join before then. Click the “take me to the details” button to learn how it all works!