Business helps writers build a creative community

Writing can often be a very solitary act, but the founders of Writership believe a community can help authors find the right words.

"We wanted to create a safe space for writers all over the country to come together and grow together," said Alyssa Archer, romance author and co-founder of Writership.

Writership launched March 1 and offers a yearlong online program intended to help writers achieve their creative goals, whether it is to write the next great American novel or to help make writing a regular practice in that person's life. The program was founded by three Austin writers, including literary fiction writer Jennifer Hritz; Leslie Watts, blogger and founder of Empathy Farming; and Archer.

"The idea with [Writership] is we're providing content consistently throughout the year plus the support plus the community," Watts said. "It provides accountability and gives them the fuel and support to really go for their goals."

The yearlong program has four sections: outlining, drafting, editing and marketing.

"Writing a novel is a big endeavor," Archer said. "We want to be able to have people digest the information and the process and spend time exploring the craft of it."

The program offers three levels of membership, each with its own tools and methods. The first-tier membership includes daily emails with writing prompts, membership to the Writership Facebook page and grouping with critique partners at a cost of $699. The second tier costs $1,299 and includes the tools of the first tier along with nearly two dozen 90-minute webinars, access to the members-only site, two professional critiques and a ticket to the finale party at the end of the program. The final tier costs $1,899 and includes everything from the first two tiers along with three retreats in Austin.

Writership is focused on the connection that people make between each other and the craft of storytelling, Hritz said.

"[Storytelling] allows us to discuss and talk, and once we open ourselves up for discussion, we're opening ourselves up for connection," Hritz said. "That's why we're here. We want to help people get to that good-feeling spot of connection with themselves, with their art and with other people."

The final day to register for the year-long Writership program is March 31.

Membership levels: Tier 1—$699, Tier 2—$1,299, Tier 3—$1,899., www.writership.org