Find Your Voice with The Insecure Writers Support Group

Find Your Voice with The Insecure Writers Support Group Does a blank page leave you feeling intimidated, queasy or ready to pull your hair out? If you said yes then chances are good that you are a writer. Now, provided that the image of a blank page didnt send you crawling back to the trenches ready to wave your white flag of surrender, give us a chance to make amends for the trauma we just put you through by directing your attention to an online media business that understands your plight, understands your stress levels, understands that blank-page phobia and ultimately understands how to get past all that to make you a more productive writer. Dont believe us? Then check out the Insecure Writers Support Group for yourself.From the moment you enter the support groups homepage youll be welcomed by the image of a bright hopeful beacon of light. Perhaps its calling you in the right direction or perhaps its just calling you to East Egg (for all your Hemingway-philes out there; even though were pretty sure its the former); either way, the imag e is a comfort for all those tired, weary writers looking for respite. Well, youve found it, so hang your hat and pour yourself a glass of Writers Tears whiskey if you need to and then let this community of writers welcome you with open arms. Think of it as group therapy meets motivational coaching.I just poured my first glass…tell me moreThe Insecure Writers Support Group (IWSG) is the brainchild of sci-fi writer Alex Cavanaugh, who discovered that there was a sea of doubting writers turning to the Internet to share their concerns, hang-ups and tales of book-writing woe; fortunately, for a lot of these writers, their self-doubts were met with positivity, reassurance and helpful advice from other writers (a benefit that wasnt lost on Alex). From this discovery, IWSG was born. Since its inception in 2011, IWSG has more than 3,000 Facebook members, 600+ newsletter subscribers and about 250 active bloggers.Whats great is that IWSG can benefit all writers, no matter where they might b e in their career. You could be a bestselling writer or you could just have discovered that youre a natural-born writer (lucky you!) and youll find writers on the site that can help you tackle your unique challenges. So, put away that bottle of Writers Tears and lets delve into the many facets of being a member of IWSG.Not just writer-friendly but also user-friendlyWere all about getting information quickly nowadays and we want a site thats able to provide us what we need when we need it. Okay, that might sound a bit greedy but lets be honest; no one has time to fall down the proverbial rabbit hole and spend precious time searching for the necessary information when that time could be better spent writing. Lets just say that IWSG understands this.At the top of the support groups homepage, simple, straightforward headers direct you to the topic that is most helpful to you based on your current stage in the writing process. Are you interested in self-publishing? Theres a tab for that. Ready to find an agent to shop your new book? Theres a tab for that. Need some writing tips to help you jump that writers block hurdle? Okay, you get the point (and, in case you didnt, there is also a tab for that). Theres a reason IWSG has received best writing websites awards from both Writers Digest and The Write Life. After all, this online support system brings together a common issue that a lot of writers face and provides a simple, easy-to-use platform to help you conquer those issues.A wellspring of writing resourcesOkay, lets get to the good stuff: writing resources. After all, this is why you want to join this support group, right? All you have to do is click the tab Writing Tips and youll be directed to an exhausting list of resources and advice on a variety of subjects:1st 5 Pages Writing Workshop (for young adult writers)Advanced Fiction WritingThe Adventurous WriterAlmost a WriterThe Book DesignerCreativity Portal (for everything from greeting cards to screenplays)Dai ly Writing TipsFree Writing EventsFunds for WritersGrammar SlammerGoogle TrendsGrammarphobia (because grammar shouldnt be scary)Helping Writers Become AuthorsHorror Writers AssociationHow to Write a Book NowInternet ResourcesKidLit (for authors writing young adult works)Make a Living WritingMen with Pens (its the new men in tights but wordier)Moody WritingThe Novel FactoryOne Stop for WritersRomance UniversityScreenwritingWriting and IllustratingWriting and WellnessYA HighwayAnd this list is just scratching the surface of some of the writing resources youll find on their site, carefully curated by the administrative team at IWSG. All you have to do is click the links that apply to you (sounds pretty easy, right? Hint: it is).Among these resources, youll also find links to advice from specific writers. More than likely youll find a writer on this list that best aligns with your style or could help you navigate those choppy writing waters. So, instead of spending your time trying to h unt down the online writing resources you need to get started, IWSG did it for you.Need a sounding board for your writing stressors? Fuggedaboutit. The first Wednesday of every Monday its time to sound the alarm and post your innermost fears and concerns on your own blog and watch as the proverbial cheering squad appears to give you the pep talk you need to own that blank page (just dont forget to leave a little love for the other doubtful writers out there before you show that blank page whos boss).To self-publish or not to self-publish?At some point in a writers life, that will most certainly be the question. Perhaps your novel, short story or poetry is already ready to grace the world with its presence, but you are currently standing at a publishing fork in the road. If so, IWSG offers a section for Self-Publishing and also one for Publishers, Agents, Queries to help you choose the path that best suits your needs. Self-publishers will find extensive information on everything from book formatting to finding an editor or book printer.If you choose to turn to a publisher or agent to help you peddle your literary wares, IWSG offers an extensive list of both large and small publishers, as well as publishers that cater to your specific demographic or style such as romance novels or childrens stories. Youll even find samples of professional query letters to submit to publishers and agents to help get those creative juices flowing once more so that you can write a successful query for your manuscript.Know how to market yourselfYouve spent all of your time and energy into creating your potential bestseller but how the heck is anyone going to know to read it? All you have to do is go on Amazon or Goodreads and its easy to get lost amongst the 600,000 to 1 million new books published each year just in the US alone. How do you go from zero to one in a million? Simple: good marketing. Okay, maybe good marketing isnt that simple, but dont worry; IWSG has your back with r esources such as:Author Marketing ExpertsBiblioCrunch (for all those self-publishers out there)Book CoachingBook Marketing Book PromotionBoost Blog TrafficDigital Book WorldKiller Book MarketingPublishers WeeklySavvy Writers e-Books OnlineSelf-Publishing ReviewSocial Media ExaminerThe Book DesignerThe Non-Fiction ZoneThe Publicity HoundWhere Writers WinWrite to Sell Your BookWriters BoonAgain, IWSG is a one-stop online writing shop from which to snag some new and helpful industry tips for how to market everything from your personal blog to your first novel. Youll even find a link to online courses for social media and email marketing strategies (lets boost that blog traffic, yo!). Enjoy a plethora of expert tips and guidance to help make navigating the world of marketing a whole lot simpler.Hone your skillsDo you feel like your writing could use a little spruce or inspiration? When you hop onto the IWSG website youll find a laundry list of conferences, conventions, workshops and r etreats from all over the world that will help you dust off your writing chops and even soup them up a bit (its the Pimp My Ride of writing skills), no matter if your passion is to become the next Madeleine LEngle of young adult books or to write crime fiction à la James Ellroy.Still hungry for more?If so, all you Hungry, Hungry Caterpillars can sink your teeth into The Insecure Writers Support Group Guide to Publishing and Beyond. As you can glean from the title, the guide can help you with everything from brainstorming your next book idea to publishing and marketing it appropriately. Better yet? These comforting anecdotes and practical tips come from actual members of IWSG whove also been in your shoes.Even writers need a little support (or perhaps even a little schadenfreude on a bad day) and it seems like IWSG is ready to dish it out in spades, along with a generous helping of professional advice and tips of the trade learned by others who once sat down and pulled their hair ou t over a blank page. Its time to turn on your writing prowess and turn off that Netflix. We know that story wont write itself, but with the Insecure Writers Support Group, it certainly got a whole lot easier.