My Writing Journey: The Writing Community is a Real Place

My Writing Journey: The Writing Community is a Real Place

From the time I learned to read, I’ve wanted to write. I think it’s accurate to say it was in my blood from birth, a part of me I wouldn’t and couldn’t live without. Writing has brought me solace, comfort, joy, a sense of achievement, and friendship with like-minded folks.

I wrote from the time I was a young only child, living in a tiny town, until high school when assignments and academic writing took the place of creative endeavours. After graduating university with an Honours Degree in Criminology, I married and had two children. 

I took electives in English and creative writing in high school, but beyond that I have no formal writing training. But I believe what I had inside of me was more important⎯ a dream that lit a fire under my butt, and a willingness to put in the hard work to get there. Because no matter what I did in life, my dream of becoming a traditionally published author lingered at the back of my mind and wouldn’t quit. 

When my children both reached school age, I returned to the passion of my younger years and started writing again like I was possessed. I probably was, especially at first, after so many years away from my art. See, for me, there’s no better way to relieve stress or leave the world behind than to create one of my own or dive into the pages of someone else’s imagination. 

After completing some first drafts of novels and novellas, I also learned to relish in that heady feeling of accomplishment I got while writing that final chapter. Whether or not the story needed a bunch of editing didn’t matter as long as I managed to translate the story from my head onto the page. 

At this point in my journey, I began learning another important lesson. Writing is a solitary exercise, but when you share your story with other authors and read their work in return, you connect with their worlds and experiences, then you grow. Woven throughout fiction, you will always find some facts and interesting information about other cultures and worldviews. 

I joined the writing community for the first time four years ago. I stumbled upon an article about the best online critique groups which led me to join Critique Circle. It was a game changer for me that I believe ultimately led to my success in honing my writing skills and getting multiple book deals with The Wild Rose Press. 

On that fabulous website, Critique Circle, I’ve connected with some amazing critique partners who are also authors and have become great friends of mine. The best part of my experience has been watching my fellow writers grow, win competitions, and publish books knowing I played a small role in helping them get there.

All writers have strengths and weaknesses, and with that hive mind of sharing work and learning from others’ strengths, your craft truly blossoms to a place you never thought imaginable. 

To be a good writer, it’s my firm belief that you must continue to strive to improve your writing. There are many ways to do so whether it’s taking courses, reading books on writing, reading books in your genre and other genres, but especially, connecting with other writers.

Although there are writing competitions out there, it is my firm belief that writing is not a competition. We all do better when we help promote each other and lift each other up. That’s what the writing community is all about. 

Social media is a prime example. I’ve connected with so many amazing authors on Facebook and Twitter, and most recently, Instagram and Tiktok. Through these connections, I’m meeting other readers, connecting with other author’s reading bases, and I’ve learned of the existence of so many wonderful books I would have otherwise missed out on.

My advice to aspiring writers out there, as they travel along their writing journey, is to connect with other writers. We all go through our ups and downs, rejections, writer’s block, life getting in the way, imposter syndrome, and self-doubts. No one understands that better, and can lift you up again, better then another writer.

And above all else, hold onto that dream in your heart. Let that dream fill your tank when you’re running on fumes. Be prepared to overcome obstacles with dogged determination. Because to succeed as an author, you need to have a thick skin for all those rejections and ‘no’s coming your way. 

I did all these things, and then one day something wonderful happened that changed my life forever⎯The Wild Rose Press said ‘yes’. Having that dream come true felt like my version of winning the lottery. The moment I got that acceptance email, and my first contract is one I will never forget. 

It’s my sincere hope that everyone gets to experience that feeling of accomplishment someday.

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Bio: Michelle Godard-Richer is a Criminology graduate with a passion for crime, human behavior, and the written word. She is also a thriller and romance author living in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canada. She writes edge-of-your-seat, suspenseful stories with strong protagonists and diabolical villains.

Social Links:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22332655.Michelle_Godard_Richer

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Michelle-Godard-Richer-Author

Twitter: www.twitter.com/MGodardRicher

Instagram: www.instagram.com/michellegodardricherauthor

Tiktok: tiktok.com/@mgodardricher

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After being widowed and surviving the wrath of a serial killer, Jessica believes her misfortunes are over. She’s reunited with her first love, Jon, and together, with her son Bryce, and a baby on the way, they’re living their happily ever after on their ranch in Montana. That is until secrets, lies, and a formidable foe from Jon’s past emerge to shake the foundation of their relationship, forcing them to flee for their lives.

A decade earlier, Jon worked undercover for the FBI. He infiltrated Hugh Jones’ Kansas City Mob, and almost destroyed his empire. Unaware of the breech in his own defenses, Hugh, obsessed with revenge, unleashes every weapon in his arsenal, targeting those Jon loves the most.

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Tags: featured, women writers

Category: On Writing