Professional Organizations

Speed blogging today.

I have to get my Wii Fit hour in before I can work on my edits--alas, personal edits, not professional editor edits of those who reign in the 212--Even though I clock an hour on Fit time you have to add at least an accumulated 30-45 minutes of 'trainer chat' time. And, no, I haven't found a way to fast forward through it. They probably have the slowdown to prevent lawsuits from idiots having heart attacks by working out too aggressively.

I just attended a local chapter of SCBWI last night. All the ladies were very lovely and nice, but I don't think attending local 'schmooze' sessions will work for me. Now this isn't to say that beginning writers shouldn't join a local writer group. I did when I thought I was a romance writer. I like writing romance and sex in my books--as a subplot. I don't really get the internal/emotional angsting of why they can't be together, though I LOVE reading it!

Anyhoo, local writers are exceedingly helpful and supportive, especially when they write in your genre. I learned a tremendous amount about writing, publishing, critiquing, judging, etc. from the ladies of RWI, and I will always be thankful for the time I spent with them. But I moved on into other genres: picture books and urban fantasy.

Yeah, tell me about it. When I go diverse, I go all the way.

Right now at this point in my writing career I don't need someone to pat me on the back or cheer me on. Shoot, I have over 200 rejections on four manuscripts--I have a tough shell. What I need to do is write. I can find almost everything I need on the Internet, and intend to exploit the heck out of it when I'm serious about querying my PB's.

So will I belong to professional organizations? Yes.

Most of them have very helpful info that can be had on their websites. Many times you can join as an associate member if you are not published, but can only gain full membership, and access to their site, after you sell. Most writing organizations host conferences regionally or nationally that are beneficial.

If I decide to pimp my PB's, I'll need to join SCBWI.
When I finish my UF, I'll have to join SFWA
And I'll still keep my membership to RWA, considering I still have two full romances written, and five beginnings.

So, yes, I do think a beginning writer should belong to a professional organization. But it is up to the individual as to whether or not a local support group is worth the effort