Today’s guest post comes to you from Laura Spencer, one of our favorite bloggers (and a woman who covers much of the same territory as Freelance Parent — namely, being a parent and running a business). Laura has been a freelance writer for the past six years. She blogs at Work From Home Momma , Business and Blogging, WritingThoughts , and OpinionMom.

If you’re not in touch with other writers, then you’re missing out on one of the greatest opportunities that there is to learn and grow. Not only can networking with other writers be a means of learning about your writing craft and finding job leads; it can also be a wonderful source of enduring friendships.

There’s nothing quite like talking about your latest writing project, with all its triumphs and frustrations, to another writer. Your spouse or significant other (unless they are also a writer) probably doesn’t really want to hear it. Your best friend, as well meaning as she is, doesn’t really get it. Your kids aren’t interested. Another writer, on the other hand, understands exactly what you’re going through and can commiserate, or cheer you on, in ways that no one else can.

When I first started working from home, I already had a good network of colleagues that I had built up during my years in the corporate world. In fact, one of my very first clients came from a referral by one of those colleagues. Now, six years later, I still know how to reach most of those colleagues - even though we’re no longer in touch on a daily, or even a regular, basis.

Without other writers I know that I wouldn’t have become the same writer that I am today. Connecting with other writers can change your life and your career too. Why not give it a try?

Tips for Connecting With Other Writers

There are a lot of different ways to connect with other writers. This post lists just a few of the more common methods.

1. Professional Societies - This is where I started connecting with other writers during my corporate career. I was a member of The Society for Technical Communication, but there are professional societies for nearly every type of writing.

2. Mentors - A mentor can be anyone who you want to learn from who is willing to spend some time with you. A mentoring relationship can be formal, through a mentoring program, or it can be informal.

3. Former Co-workers - Out of sight doesn’t have to be out of mind. If you’ve worked in a professional environment and you haven’t burned your bridges (and I sincerely hope that you haven’t), then you should make an effort to stay in touch with the people who used to work with you.

4. Online - I almost titled this post “Why You Should Connect With Other Bloggers,” then I realized that networking is bigger than blogging. The Internet, however, is definitely expanded the scope of networking. As a writer you should make use of the networking tools that the Internet provides. Here are just a few of them:

• Blogs - You don’t even have to have your own blog to have a relationship with writers who blog. Find a few writing blogs that you like and leave comments on a regular basis. Once in a while, you can e-mail the blogger.

• Forums - Forums are a great way to get to know other writers. Once again, the important thing with a forum is to participate. Find a few topics that interest you and join the discussion.

• Be Part of A Group - Join an online network of individuals. Both Google and Yahoo have a groups feature that lets you communicate with others who have similar interests. If you blog, there are also blogging networks that you can join.

• Social Networking - Stay connected with your writing friends using one or more of the many social tools that are available. With multiple social media available, there’s really no excuse to lose touch anymore.

So, what’s keeping you? Get out there and connect!

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