Whether you are the newly-elected President of the United States or appointed as a group leader in a college class, you will find out early on that you cannot do it all by yourself. You need the advice of those who have certain areas of expertise.

Just like in your circle of friends you find that one is your main confidant, and another makes you laugh when you feel down, so a writer needs to be surrounded with a group of fellow authors which are especially good at certain aspects of writing.

I have a “go to” list which I have labeled “Details”, “Word Choice/Imagery”, “Backstory,” “Historian”, “Show-Don’t Tell”, and “Encouragement.” When I am stuck, I know exactly who to go to for advice.

They have my back.

And, you need a similar network, too.

These people may be local or accessed by phone or internet. They may be members of your critique group or not. But, they should be trustworthy, honest, possess quality writing skills, and willing to help.

And, don’t forget. They’ll need you, from time to time, too.

Think about those skills you will share with them and what positive impact you will have on the quality of their writing.

There are lots of helpful books on various aspects of writing. Most of us have dozens of them.

However, nothing beats the personal investment one can make in the life of a fellow writer.