(I have been battling a bad cold/viral infection for the past week and a half, and spent most of last week flat on my back so I missed my De-Stress Your Writing Life deadline for the first time this year. My apologies to everyone. I hope to be back up and running soon.) 

There are many great Twitter groups out there for writers, such as #MyWANA and #WriteClub, where writers can get encouragement, support and plenty of random fun.

However I would like to encourage the use of a new hashtag specifically for writers who are looking for help with something writing related: #WriterInNeed

Why Do We Need Another Hashtag?

While the hashtags mentioned are wonderful author communities, the messages tweeted cover a variety of topics, including blog posts, word counts, and random thoughts. The #WriterInNeed hashtag is specifically for writers looking for help with their writing related problem.

For example, this hashtag can be used:

• If you’re looking for a beta reader with specific qualifications (such as someone with police experience or someone who has traveled to a location you’re describing in your story).
• If you need help with a language (for example, if you wish to use a French phrase in something you are writing).
• If you’re looking for good research resources for your writing (for example, if you want to know of a good website or book on the subject of lace making).
• If you would like help from your fellow writers with simple decisions (like which cover art to use or what to name your characters).
• If you want suggestions on good writing books dealing with an area of writing that you have difficulty with.

I will keep a close eye on this hashtag and do my best to refer the writer in need to a fellow writer who may be able to help, or at least retweet it to my followers so that someone else may be able to help. I may also mention certain WriterInNeed tweets on my blog to help spread the word.

Will This Work?

I am constantly amazed at the wealth of experience the writers are I have encountered on Twitter possess.

Just recently, I helped a writer get in touch with someone who had experience in Latin. Within minutes the writer had a Latin phrase she could use in her novel. It really was that easy.

Wouldn’t it be great if all of us could get answers to our writing problems that quickly? I’m hoping that #WriterInNeed will bring us a little closer to that ideal.

Let’s give it a go!

What writing hashtags do you use? How could you use #WriterInNeed?