Finding your People

Finding Your People (when you might rather be hanging out with your characters)

I am, fundamentally, an introvert. Many of the writers I know are. Alone at my desk, fingers on my laptop keys, I am happily absorbed, creating my characters and their world.  

However, there is another side to the writing life that I eventually discovered—later than I should have, to my regret—and I want to share a little about my experience of picking my head up from the writing and coming to cherish what I now recognize as my “community of practice.” 

As I wrote my first book, A Lady in the Smoke, my thoughts were focused on Lady Elizabeth Fraser, who survives a railway wreck, falls in love with a handsome railway surgeon, and thwarts the plans of the evil railway magnate. If I had a further thought, it was, If I am very lucky, I might find an agent.  

I certainly was not thinking about reaching readers, building relationships with booksellers or librarians, or developing a social media presence. Once A Lady in the Smoke was published, I scrambled to create a website. I joined Facebook reluctantly. I didn’t really understand Instagram or hashtags. Twitter scared me off. And what was Goodreads?

However, I had two experiences that helped me see the value of engaging in a meaningful, genuine way with my community of practice—namely, other writers, readers, librarians, booksellers, bloggers, podcasters, and so on.  

The first experience was Bouchercon, my first mystery writers’ conference, held in Dallas in October 2019. I had two books published and a third forthcoming. Now, to me, “networking” sounds so transactional and calculated and … exhausting. However, once I set aside the pressure to network, I found myself enjoying the people I met—not surprisingly. I was with over 1,000 writers and readers, who were enthusiastic and engaging and told funny, interesting stories. I came away from Bouchercon understanding that I needed to set aside any feelings of being “an outsider” and claim my place in the writing community. It was a mental shift I needed to make. 

The second pivotal experience was Covid. My third book, A Trace of Deceit, came out in December 2019, and shortly after, the world shut down. How was I to get the word out? On top of this, my editor at Harper Collins left, so I needed to find a new project and a new home. That became Down a Dark River, with Crooked Lane Books, which was familiar because a woman I met at Bouchercon was published by them.

In the past, community engagement wasn’t necessarily part of the writing life. (Jane Austen never had to reach out to podcasters.) But as the publishing industry changes, authors are increasingly required to handle their own outreach and marketing. Furthermore, Covid forever altered our modes of interaction. Familiarity with Zoom is Covid’s silver lining, enabling authors to connect with book clubs, bookstores, and libraries across the world.

For writers, forging these connections can feel like a drain on our energy and writing time. But a “writing community mindset” can help us find both the support we need and emotionally fulfilling ways to give back.

Even if you have not been published, you can build your community of practice, with a few hours a week. Here are some possible places to start.

1. Join a professional group (e.g., Sisters in Crime, Historical Novel Society) and volunteer or engage in a small way. For example, visit the SinC archives to view some webinars and send a “thank you” email to the presenters.

2. Check out local universities and organizations that support the arts. Look for grant opportunities and online classes.  

3. Attend author events at indie bookstores. Chat with the salespeople and owners.  

4. Volunteer at a library.  

5. Begin a website, even if you don’t publish it yet. Get comfortable with the platform (e.g., WordPress). Eventually, integrate your blog, social media, a contact form, etc. 

6. Read and review other people’s books. Tag other authors on IG, Twitter, or FB posts. Have fun with this! Create a Goodreads page. (If published, create an Amazon author page.)  

7. Go to a conference — and volunteer! Moderate a panel, check people in, or stuff goodie bags. Pro tip: if you attend a conference with the hope of meeting agents, politely and professionally stalk them. Rehearse your 3-minute pitch out loud until it rolls off your tongue. Then mention your meeting in your query letter – “When we met at Writercon, you invited me to query you about my middle-grade mystery novel.” This will set your query apart.

8. Begin a newsletter, or a blog about your writing or your research. Posts can be short. Images are great. Put it on your social media and website. 

9. Read other people’s blogs and comment – even if it’s just, “Thanks for sharing!” or “Interesting!” Be gracious, be genuine. 

10. Listen to podcasts – and share the ones you like!  

11. Join a writer’s group. This can take some time to find, as you want to be with people who are “on your page.” Remember, you must commit to reading their work as well!

12. Sign up for Publishers Marketplace. It’s $25 for the month, and you will receive a report of every book deal that is made, which includes the names of editors and agents. This is how I found my agent, and he recommends this site for writers.

I know from experience that it isn’t always easy to put myself out there, and sometimes the universe doesn’t respond the way I’d like. But the relationships I’ve developed over the past few years have been the unexpected gold in my life as a writer. These friends, sister (and mister) authors, and readers have encouraged me, taught me, and brought me so much joy and many laughs. They’re my people—our people—and they’re out there, waiting to be found.

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USA Today bestselling author Karen Odden earned her PhD in English at NYU, writing her dissertation on Victorian literature. She taught at UW-Milwaukee and edited for the academic journal Victorian Literature and Culture before turning to writing novels. She is the author of five Victorian mysteries published by Random House, Harper Collins, and Crooked Lane. A Dangerous Duet and A Trace of Deceit won awards for historical fiction and mystery, and her most recent, Under a Veiled Moon, was praised by Publishers Weekly in a starred review as being “an extraordinary sequel … Odden never strikes a false note.”

Since 2018, she has offered workshops on the writing craft to the Historical Novel Society, Sisters in Crime (National), and independent writing groups nationwide. A transplant from the NYC area, she lives in Arizona where she has learned to love hiking the Sonoran desert.

For more information about Karen’s books and writing workshops or to subscribe to her newsletter (every 6 weeks), visit www.karenodden.com.

UNDER A VEILED MOON

In the tradition of C. S. Harris and Anne Perry, a fatal disaster on the Thames and a roiling political conflict set the stage for Karen Odden’s second Inspector Corravan historical mystery.

September 1878. One night, as the pleasure boat the Princess Alice makes her daily trip up the Thames, she collides with the Bywell Castle, a huge iron-hulled collier. The Princess Alice shears apart, throwing all 600 passengers into the river; only 130 survive. It is the worst maritime disaster London has ever seen, and early clues point to sabotage by the Irish Republican Brotherhood, who believe violence is the path to restoring Irish Home Rule.

For Scotland Yard Inspector Michael Corravan, born in Ireland and adopted by the Irish Doyle family, the case presents a challenge. Accused by the Home Office of willfully disregarding the obvious conclusion, and berated by his Irish friends for bowing to prejudice, Corravan doggedly pursues the truth, knowing that if the Princess Alice disaster is pinned on the IRB, hopes for Home Rule could be dashed forever.

Corrovan’s dilemma is compounded by Colin, the youngest Doyle, who has joined James McCabe’s Irish gang. As violence in Whitechapel rises, Corravan strikes a deal with McCabe to get Colin out of harm’s way. But unbeknownst to Corravan, Colin bears longstanding resentments against his adopted brother and scorns his help.

As the newspapers link the IRB to further accidents, London threatens to devolve into terror and chaos. With the help of his young colleague, the loyal Mr. Stiles, and his friend Belinda Gale, Corravan uncovers the harrowing truth—one that will shake his faith in his countrymen, the law, and himself.

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