Dribble, Fake, Shoot, Miss: Five Reasons to Join a Writing Community Today!
Dribble, Fake, Shoot, Miss were words spoken by Kwame Alexander as part of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Summer Spectacular. He used them to remind attendees that persistence is key to success. It was the end of a morning of listening to Judy Blume, Kwame Alexander, and Raúl the Third discuss their writing process, successes and challenges. Kwame repeated the phrase again: Dribble, Fake, Shoot, Miss. The repetition of the phrase matched the urgency I suddenly felt. It was time to stop procrastinating and join a writing community. Here are five reasons why I plan on doing so now and why you should too!
1. Build a group of encouragers: Let’s face it, writing is challenging and the lonesome writer might be a well-visualized image, but it does not provide encouragement. Judy Blume recalled the impact of joining a writing community through a course offered by New York University (NYU) at the start of her career. The writing group shielded Judy from the doubts and concerns of others. The group provided Judy consistent encouragement to follow her dreams — so much so she dedicated her first book to the instructor.
2. More opportunities to be lucky! Kwame Alexander and Raúl the Third shared 60 minutes of laughter and banter. Within that banter, one key point emphasized was the positive impact of saying yes to opportunities offered from their writing community. It was Raúl the Third’s yes to an unexpected invitation from Cathy Camper, and her perseverance after several rejections that led to the publishing of Lowriders Blast from the Past. Joining a writing community can lead you to meet a collaborator who has the stamina needed when the race gets hard to get you both to the finish line: a publication.
3. A reminder that there is no timetable for success: Although much of the morning’s inspiration came from the invited speakers, an exchange in the Q&A box between attendees provided a reality check for those starting a writing career later in life. After hearing Kwame re-frame his overnight success into the true 23 years of persistent work, one attendee lamented that they didn’t have 23 years left. A chorus of comments rang as attendees ranging from 44 to 73 years old shared they had just landed their first publication. Joining a writing community can discredit the fear that success will never come.
4. Folks to celebrate with: Kwame and Raúl the Third’s celebration of each other’s work was joyful to hear. Nothing is more deflating than finally achieving success and not having folks to celebrate with — folks whom knew you when the drafts of paper were used as mini-basketballs. Raul the Third recalled the fun he had early in his career as his wife and friends joined him in handing out his handmade comic zines.
5. Living for Inspiration: There is no better inspiration for writing than living. Living fully means experiencing and learning about life with and from others. Writing communities provide interactions that both support and expand our understanding of life and thus our craft. The writer you are today (and the tools you use — Zoom anyone?) won’t necessarily be the writer you are in the future. A writing community can help reminisce about the old days while embracing change.
So now you might be wondering: where do I start? Of course one writing community you might join is SCBWI — a national community with a multitude of opportunities to build both a local and national community. If you are a writer of color and wanting to build with other writers of color, consider VONA, another national organization. Lastly, the writing community for you might be just around the corner. Research your local writing organizations and start building today!
Dribble, Fake, Shoot, Swish!
