Local writing groups are great. Trust me, if I could find one, I would love it. But I can’t, and so I’ve struggled to eke out my own writing community. Guess what? Turns out they’re online. Thousands of writers of all genres who congregate on hashtags across social media sites.
Twitter chats are a great jumping off point if you don’t know where to look. I’ve found 31 for you. Search the list below for which ones you might be interested in checking out, add a reminder to your calendar, and join in the discussions.
Below my list of active Twitter chats are 15 sad, lonely defunct ones. Who knows? Maybe you’re just the writer to start one of these guys up again. Just do your research first to make sure it’s still inactive, and maybe reach out to the person who originally ran the hashtag and ask permission as a courtesy.
And if I’ve missed any chats, or you’re starting a new one, shout at me in the comments, and I’ll add it.
Active Twitter Chats List: For a better chat experience, try using www.tweetchat.com at the dates and times indicated below.
#10MinNovelists Thursdays 9-10pm ET on a variety of topics related to writing (taking summer 2017 off, back in September) hosted by @10MinNovelist. www.10minutenovelists.com
#AuthorConfessionChat Wednesdays 9-10pm ET with the theme of sharing about writing habits and projects hosted by @jjulienauthor and @jmsullivanbooks.
#BookMarket Thursdays 4-5pm ET hosted by @bookmarketingchat and @ClaudiaC.
#BookMarketingChat Wednesdays 9-10pm ET hosted by @BadRedHeadMedia. www.badredheadmedia.com
#BoWriChat Every second Friday 8-9pm CT, the bored writers chat is hosted by @jeweleleonard.
#CreateLounge Wednesdays 7-8pm CT hosted by @createloungeHQ. www.createlounge.com
#CreatureChat Wednesday chat regarding non-human characters in science fiction and fantasy 8-9 pm CT hosted by @OfTheWilds.
#DarkLitChat Third Tuesday of every month 8-9pm ET hosted by @darklitchat, @deapoirierbooks & @e_teskey. www.dhpoirier.com
#FemalesInFantasy Saturdays 8-9pm ET hosted by @Brianna_daSilva.
#HappyWritingChat Sundays 1-2pm ET hosted by @happywriting1, new topics weekly.
#JustAddTea Sundays 11am-12pm CT hosted by @ellamays.
#KidLitArt Thursdays 9-10pm ET for children’s book authors & illustrators hosted by @kidlitart.
#KidLitChat Tuesdays 9-10pm ET hosted by @GregPincus and @BonnieAdamson.
#LitChat Mondays and Wednesdays 4-5pm ET hosted by @LitChat. www.litchat.com
#MagicMon Weekly fantasy writing chat hosted by @magicmonwords, @wordcaffeine, @abookbumble, @by_kayleigh and @slczouk. One source says it’s 7-10pm ET.
#MGLitChat Thursdays 9-10pm ET hosted by @Mglitchat. www.mglitchat.blogspot.com
#NeverWriteAlone Sundays 7-8pm MST hosted by @Authors_Market.
#PaperToPlatform Every other Thursday 8-9pm GMT on the topic of online book marketing. www.ginalucia.co.uk
#RWchat Sundays 7-8pm ET for romance and women’s fiction writers hosted by @RWchat. www.rwchat.com
#SciFiChat Fridays 3-4pm ET hosted by @SciFiChat. www.flyingpenpress.com
#ScriptChat Sundays 5-6pm PT. www.scriptchat.blogspot.ca
#SmutChat Every second Thursday 7-8pm CT hosted by @v_rheault
#StoryCrafter Sundays 8-9pm GMT hosted by @writerology. www.writerology.net
#StoryDam Writing and self publishing chat Thursdays 8-9pm ET hosted by @storydam.
#StorySocial Wednesdays 9-10pm ET hosted by @StorySocialChat.
#StrongWomenWrite First and third Wednesdays 7-8pm CT about strong female characters and the women who write them hosted by @strongwomenwrte and @ikhrys.
#TheWritersZen First Sundays 8-9am ET talking about self-care, best practices, and all things writing hosted by @JNRlitauthor. www.jessicareino.me
#Wattpad4 Mondays 8-9pm ET hosted by The Wattpad 4.
#WritersLifeChat Wednesdays 8-9pm ET hosted by @JessIngold. www.jessicaingold.webs.com
#WritersPatch Sundays 10-11am CT hosted by @PatchWorkNerd. www.alexandravanhorn.com
#WriteStuff Tuesdays 9-10pm ET hosted by @PenPaperPad. www.tamarawoodsauthor.com
Inactive Twitter Chats List:
#BlackLitChat
#FaithLitChat
#FantasyChat
#K8Chat
#MemoirChat
#NAlitchat
#PBlitchat
#ScreenwritingSaturday
#ScribeChat
#SteamPunkChat
#ThrillerChat
#TVwriterchat
#UFchat
#WriteChat
#YAlitchat
I wrote this post for the monthly Insecure Writers Support Group blog hop. To continue hopping or to join the hop, click here. (There are more than 200 of us, and it’s fun!)
What is your experience with Twitter chats? Talk to me in the comments below.
Thank you to Freepik for providing the free graphics I used in the image for this post.
I’ve never done a twitter chat. I have trouble keeping up with the feeds, but I recently found Tweek Deck, but have not tried keeping up with a chat with it. I’m a beginner with Twitter but brand new–know enough to stuff wrong, lol. Thanks for the list I’ll check some out.
Juneta @ Writer’s Gambit
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Hi Juneta, Thanks for stopping by! You should try TweetChat.com for chats. It’s a little more user friendly than Tweet Deck for this specific purpose.
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Thanks for the tweetchat suggestion. I’ll definitely try it out. I see a couple hashtags I’m interested in following.
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Cool, I’ll give it a try.
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May I suggest some more Twitter chats? There’s #JustAddTea by
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Sorry, incomplete comment. There’s another chat called #JustAddTea by @ellamayes at Sunday, 11am CST and #WritersPatch by Alexandra Vanhorn on the same day but on 10am CST. Themes are given each week.
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I’m going to look these up and add them right away. Thanks Maria!!!
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I never actually participated in a twitter chat, but I have observed, and they’re actually not too hard to follow, once you get into the swing of things. This list looks amazing. There are some really specialized ones on there that I hadn’t heard of before, and that might be a good fit for me. I’ll check them out!
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For idiots such as myself who don’t twitter good, any tips on how to join in or follow them. Each time I’ve seen them cross my feed and tried to peek in it’s incredibly overwhelming.
Thank you for putting together the list! It’s awesome 🙂
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Hi Mariah! Have you tried tweetchat.com? It makes the chats easier to follow than on the regular Twitter app. Just log into tweetchat at the specified time. The hosts (as indicated above) usually announce a theme and provide questions for participants to answer. You can hop around, see what everyone is answering/saying, reply to people, learn something new, meet some people. 🙂
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Oh!! I didn’t know about that I might have to give it a try, thank you!!
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Is there no end to your helpful hints and tidbits?! You are a force of nature!!😆 as always, thanks !🙏
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Can I also recommend #StoryCrafter run by @writerology every Sunday (8pm GMT)
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Thank you so much for bringing this one to my attention. I’ve added it!
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P.S. If you’re in the IWSG blog hop, let me know what your website is, because I can’t figure out if it’s on the master list. 🙂
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Wow! What a cool post. I am also actively looking for a writer’s group Raimey. I will have to check a few out of the groups out and find out what it is all about. What is your topic you like to write the most? Sorry to answer your post with a question 🙂
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I happen to like questions. 🙂 With respect to blogging, I’m trying to dig out a niche for myself in writing about marketing for authors. This post loosely fits with that theme, seeing as a couple of the Twitter chats are exclusively about marketing. If you’re referring to what type of fiction I like to write, definitely crime fiction. You?
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I like to write young adult suspense and lots of magical possibility. I like your blog direction:)
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I don’t tend to follow twitter chats – occasionally one will start trending or pop up on my feed, like Devon Business Hour, or something equally specific and unhelpful – but I never know what’s coming up in advance. I’ll take a look at a few of these though!
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Raimey you really provide such great practical advice. Thank you. I have done twitter chats for my day job, not for my writing, and I found them enjoyable and engaging. I’ll have to try a few of these and see where it goes.
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Thanks! Cool, there’s a science fiction one. There was another – I even participated in it as an author once – but it’s been defunct for many years.
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Thanks for the info. I wish I could keep up with chats, but by the time I think up a response to something (and corrected the dozen of typos I make), everyone’s onto the next topic. Have a great Thursday!
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This is useful. Thanks!
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Awesome! I’ll have to add these to my list. 😀
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Hi Ramey, thanks for stopping by earlier! I haven’t done much in the way of Twitter chats but hey I’m willing to give it a go. I’ll check a few out. Always looking to meet up with new people and see what they’re doing.
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Howdy Raimey,
I’ve decided to start up the #FantasyChat again in April, but I’m going to handle it like #WIPJoy with a list of questions for each day of the month. That way people can participate whenever they want because timezones are annoying. Hehe.
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OMG, you’re a rock star! I wonder if it classify then as more of a Twitter game than a Twitter chat. Blah, who knows? The definitions are so loose. Let me know when you have this going, and I’ll change it here, and I’m also happy to tweet about it.
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Will do! I made a graphic for it but I just realized I only put the first 20 days; it makes more sense to do it a week at a time. Duh. I’ll probably reach out again toward the end of March. I’m hoping to start it up in April.
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Awesome. Sounds like it’s going to be fun!
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I love Twitter chats, but I haven’t participated in one for a while. Life just gets insane sometimes. Well, time to jump back in, eh?
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Thank you for this. I haven’t ever participated in twitter chats but it’s good to know where to start.
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Thanks for this helpful list. I love #BookMarketingChat on Wednesdays with @BadRedheadMedia!
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Thanks for the useful list. 🙂
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My pleasure!
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Great list! Can you kindly add #ThinkBeContent to your list? It’s on the last Wednesday of every month at 9pm ET and moderated by @tajafox. Details can be found here: https://www.tajafox.com/thinkbecontent/ 🙂
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This looks like a fantastic chat, Taja! This list, though, is more for chats about writing books, and yes, a lot of book writers have blogs, but if I added all the blogging chats, this would be a long list indeed!
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For 2018 I would like to recommend #NeverWriteAlone run by Writers’ Connection @Authors_Market every Sunday 7pm MST.
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Thanks, Anne Marie! I’ll add it in the next couple of weeks.
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Added!
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