…or, a rebuttal to yesterday’s post.

I got a few comments regarding my complaint about the advertising habits of a few writers I’ve recently started to follow on Twitter, yesterday. The essential gist was, “Why do you hate the writers/writing community on Twitter?”

I don’t. I hate certain habits of a very few. But that was another post, this is a different one. This is about the redemptive qualities of the writing community on Twitter, and why I enjoy interacting and engaging with them.

I’ve mentioned before, that the person who inspired me to write and self-publish was none other than Hugh Howey. WOOL was a pleasure to read, and finding out that it was self-published as well, it gave me the push I needed to get my writing career started. Not only does Hugh give some great advice regarding both writing and self-publishing, he’s genuinely a nice guy (who seems to be living life to the fullest on his boat… tweeting randomly from parts unknown around the world).

Once I set off on the writing path, starting with NaNoWriMo, and continuing on my own, I set up an account on twitter and began twisting knobs and tuning dials. A friend had turned me on to something called #authorconfession, which had prompts every month where we could discuss our writing and writing habits and bits and bobs about what we were working on. It’s run by J.M. Sullivan and Jessica Julien, and has some of the friendliest writers I’ve come to know.

There are famous authors I follow, but rarely interact with, like Neil Gaiman (who seems to be the most supportive author ever… and one I’d really like to emulate). But, to get to the point of this post, the people that I’m not worried about blocking or muting are the most helpful and considerate ones.

To see people start a phenomenal hashtag game that not only allows authors from all walks of life and genres to interact with and find each other, but to feel like they’re a part of a community where everyone is as thick into it as they are, is wonderful. Watching people asking questions and getting solid answers from the writing community is also nice to see.

There are many Twitter users who are willing to take a new user by the hand and give them a leg up on the use and conventions of Twitter. There are authors willing to spread the word of a book release by someone else. There are people all over the world who are ready to follow and interact with a stranger, because they’re an author, too.

So, I do like to see people working feverishly on their WIP. I love to see the grumps and pitfalls of writing (I’m not the only one going through it). I like to see people taking a break and living life and breathing and watching movies and taking care of their kids. We have lives to live and books to write, and we all have to figure out how to balance them in our own ways. I enjoy seeing people become part of the community and bringing a fresh eye to things. I love to see the editors and writers and publishers and everyone in-between taking the time to listen to each other and come to an understanding of what it means to be each.

The writing community on Twitter can have its downfalls. Incessant advertising, bickering, sexism, racism, blowhards and know-it-alls, and even dangerous people. But, at the end of the day, with the community at large and some careful steps, we can get to the point where the ones that help, guide, uplift, and spark joy among the writers of the world, are the ones with the loudest voices and drown out the crud.

Does this sound like the wishy-washy dreams of a guy too far up his own butt, or something that might be possible? Let me know in the comments.