By  Susan May Warren, @SusanMayWarren

So, I’m in Florida. I know I keep saying that but it’s blowing my mind. For fifty-four years I was cold.

Okay, I’m still a little cold.

Now, I take a daily walk on the beach and sit on my porch at night, reading. (I do, however, miss my friends in Minnesota! :white_frowning_face:)

The BEST thing about Florida, however is that my writing partner and bestie Rachel Hauck lives just across the river. 30 mins away by car.

We meet for breakfast every Saturday.

I looove it. We chat over life, stories, career. But really, it’s just a face-to-face meeting of something we’ve done for the past fifteen years.

We’ve been writing partners for a looong time. Helping with story, praying for each other, guiding each other’s careers….investing.

I wouldn’t be where I am today without Rachel’s input into my writing. My life.

Having a writing partner is more than just someone to read your work. Yes, we started there. But we soon realized that our voices were very different. I couldn’t line edit her work because it would change her voice, and vice versa. So we soon became CRAFT partners.

We helped each other grow in our writing craft. If she needed more, or better dialogue, I’d point it out. If I started overwriting in a scene, she’d throw up the red flag. If we needed to go deeper with our characters, we’d get on the phone and hash it out.

We didn’t touch each other’s voice. But we did challenge each other to go deeper, to find solutions to emotional layering and deeper characterization and crafting stories that matter.

Because that, in the end, was our goal.

So…what does this mean for YOU?

First…if you’re an aspiring writer, you need a partner. When I was living up north, I formed a group of four women I met with monthly to encourage our writing. We read our pieces aloud and got general feedback on impact and emotions (not line edits).That’s a great start and helped me know if I was headed the right direction.

Second…you need to find someone (maybe online!) who is as committed to getting craft right as you are. I know that can be hard to do! That is why at Novel.Academy we started Huddles—or support groups—for writers. We’ve seen a number of craft partners develop out of those groups. You might make a friend at a conference, or at a writing group. The key is NOT that they write in the same genre, but that together you are committed to helping each other get better.

How?

• Read the same craft books and discuss them!
• Send each other sample paragraphs/scene that incorporate those craft-related lessons.
• Attend a conference together and compare notes.
• Read the same novel and discuss what worked and what didn’t. (Be willing to read in each other’s genres!)

Notice I didn’t say “send each other your chapters weekly to critique them.” You might send each other a scene now and then to get feedback, but your focus is on impact, not words. The emotional takeaway from the story, not the placement of commas.

The most important part of having a craft partner is commitment. Honestly, Rachel has helped me through a novel crisis on a Christmas Eve. And I’ve ducked out of many a family dinner to nail down a scene for her. The key is…we know that if we get stuck, the other is there to help us muscle through.

And finally we pray for each other. It changes everything. We know we’re not alone in the fight, and where two or three are gathered…

Your story matters. Find someone who agrees and go on the journey together. (And if you need a writing partner…ask the Lord to send you one! Seriously!)

That’s all I got today…my brain is cooking on a new story. (I hope Rachel is standing by her phone!)

Have a great writing week. Go! Write something brilliant!

Susie May

P.S. One way to get feedback on your stories is by attending our FEEDBACK night at Novel.Academy! Submit your work and get live feedback on it (anonymously if you want!) Just one of the many perks of our online membership. Want to know more? Go to: Novel.Academy and get in on the fun!