Writers need community to thrive 📚
Dana Magliari, a long-time Wordcrafters supporter, knows the value of having a writing community–especially after the pandemic. He loves coming to events to learn writing craft and meet other writers.
Dana became involved with Wordcrafters after attending our first writing conference in 2014. Despite the mild chaos of launching our first conference, Dana was impressed by what he experienced.
“I wasn’t excited about going to conferences, but this was local, so it was easy to go to. They did a good job considering that it was their first time. They had a good range of workshops,” he says.
Wordcrafters today is celebrating its 10th birthday and offers many workshops and events for writers like Dana. He says two he’s particularly enjoyed are parallel-play style write-ins and First Pages–a roundtable writing critique.
“The First Pages critiques and the write-ins have both proven useful for me. At write-ins, I rarely come up with anything that’s going to contribute to the new text. Instead, I bring my latest roadblock or obstacle and use it as a brainstorming session to figure out ways around it. If I can leave the session with a plan for how to approach the next day, then that’s a successful write-in for me.”
For Dana, having outside opinions and conversations with other writers is incredibly helpful for his own writing process.
“Writing may be a solo act, but you’ve to get out of the house every so often,” he says. “All the issues you deal with when you’re trying to write–the self-doubt, the bouts of writer’s block–just by being with other writers, you’re reminded they’re common to everyone. There’s no reason for you to beat yourself over the head over them.”
Wordcrafters has had some rough years, going entirely online during the COVID-19 pandemic. But, for Dana, connecting through Zoom just wasn’t something his was up for, especially after spending his days in online meetings.
Now he’s able to be back with his Wordcrafters peeps.
“It’s a source of reassurance and a confidence booster,” Dana says.
Gifts from donors like you keep the words flowing and stories coming to life on the page.
While Wordcrafters made it through the pandemic–thanks to much-needed federal COVID relief funds–getting back to “normal” with in-person classes and events has been slow going.
Many Wordcrafters are burnt out on Zoom, while also, unlike Dana, reluctant to be in the same room with others. Your support helps folks like Dana–and you– access the writing community and connection vital to keep telling stories. Stories that have the power to change us, and the world.