How many of you grew up reading faerie tales? I would venture to say quite a few of you. The one that inspired me the most as I grew into the author I am today is King Arthur. Did you know the name is used in reference to the legendary warrior-king in history once? Well, at least once that we have preserved. That one reference has now inspired thousands upon thousands of great works of fiction. Imagine if, one thousand years from today, only one reference to your main character exists in a review of another work, and that reference inspires thousands of authors and storytellers for centuries to come.

The reason I bring up Arthur is because of the mythic “Knights of the Round Table.” These legendary heroes inspire ordinary men to do the extraordinary. They were just your average men of the day, within whom the great King Arthur saw such mighty potential. A potential that he called upon by elevating them to the rank of Knight. The group is known for legendary feats like finding the Holy Grail of Christ and searching for the fountain of youth. However, some of the most widely read stories are of individual knights and their stories of heroism. One such is “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”, where the young Knight Gawain volunteers to answer the call of a mysterious and ominous character who invaded a party that was being held at Camelot. Through adversity and eventual failure, Gawain learns a lesson he will never forget.

What does this have to do with writing, Al? I hear you asking. Well, as writers, we can really view ourselves as these individual knights. We go on lone adventures where we attempt to win the day against evil and publish our own work all on our own. This is great. There is nothing wrong, however, with finding a round table of sorts, a legendary collection of colleagues who, while fighting their own battles, will come together and help lift you up. This group does not have to be in person, true, but it should exist. Perhaps check out your local community college and take a creative writing course, or see if they have a writing guild. Go to your local library and ask if you can start a monthly gathering of creatives and writers who wish to discuss the nitty-gritty of the trade.

Who knows, you might find a close-knit group of authors that you can form a critique party with.

At the end of the day, keep writing and keep networking. Grow! You’ve got this!