My family is moving across the country in a few weeks, and a few days ago, we got together with most of the writer friends we've made here to say goodbye. While we're planning to keep in touch with everyone online, it's tough that we won't be able to get together in person anymore. There's no substitute for face-to-face time to talk about the writing and publishing journey.

With that in mind, I'm already thinking about ways to connect with writers in my new city. Since everyone can benefit from finding writer friends, not just those who are moving, here are some of the first places I'm going to look:

1. SCBWI
As a MG/YA writer, I get to take advantage of the great resource that is the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Although my current city doesn't have a very active chapter, my new city does—which means I'll definitely be checking out what they have to offer.

2. Conferences
Writing conferences are a fabulous way to connect with like-minded people. In fact, I met most of my local writer friends through a local conference (and if you've been reading this blog for a while, you might remember that we co-bloggers all met at a conference as well!). There are several large conferences every year in my new city, so I'm going to try to attend one as soon as possible.

3. Twitter/Other Social Media
I follow and am followed by lots of writers on Twitter, and I'm also a member of several writing-focused Facebook groups. I mentioned where I was moving in one of these groups and was thrilled to find that several of the people I'd been talking to for months lived right in my new neck of the woods! You may find that announcing your location on your favorite social media channels brings nearby people out of the woodwork.

4. NaNoWriMo
One of the fun things about signing up to participate officially in National Novel Writing Month each November is local meet ups. I'm nearly always revising in November, rather than drafting, but this year I'm going to try to be ready for a new project. My new locale is famous for its independent coffeeshops, and what better way to try them out than drafting parties?

Would you add anything to this list? How have you made writer friends?

As you're probably aware, our very own Stacy Stokes's debut YA novel published last week! Let me tell you, guys—I love this book. The writing is beautiful, and the characters are so complex and interesting that I couldn't put the book down.

My shiny new copy of Where the Staircase Ends now has a place of honor on my bookshelf. I was admiring it today, and I started thinking about how many teens I know who would love this book. I talk to a few voracious readers on a fairly regular basis, so I made a mental note to mention it to them.

And that got me thinking about ways the members of the YA writing community can get the word out about their friends' books. Sure, buying the book yourself is nice, but what then? What's the most effective way to get the word out?

Luckily, for those feeling overwhelmed by all the options out there (social media? bookstores? libraries? reviews?), there are some great resources out there to help you narrow down the most effective strategy.

First, author Erin Bowman has this excellent breakdown of what you can do in addition to buying the book here on Pub Crawl: Support an Author Beyond Buying Their Book. A couple of suggestions I love: gifting the novel to friends and family for special occasions and reading the book in public (because I know I always check out what people are reading when I see them on public transportation or in the coffeeshop).

This similarly titled post from author Jen Malone on Writer's Rumpus focuses specifically on social media: Help an Author (Beyond Buying the Book): Part Three. Jen points out that tweeting, posting pics to Instagram, or posting on Facebook are some of the easiest and most effective ways to get the word out. People trust personal recommendations above all else, so this can vastly increase the likelihood that someone will pick up your friend's book.

And last but certainly not least, Stacy herself wrote a post a few months ago: 12 Easy Ways to Support Your Soon-to-Be-Published Author Friend. She points out that leaving reviews, requesting the book at the library, and asking about the book at your local bookstore (on my to-do list the next time I'm in the neighborhood!) are all good ways to support your friend.

Congratulations again, Stacy!

November is a time to be thankful, so that concept has been on my mind most of this month.   Of course, like many people, I am thankful for my friends and family.  I think that their stories are important and that they themselves help shape me.  Even though I love my family and friends, in my real life, they are often the backstory of me - important, but not always in the moment - not always what people want to know about me.

Thus, while loved one are important to us, they may not be so essential to others.  The other day I found this out the hard way.  I came across a man's professional website while trying to research his credentials. All I wanted to know about this person was his qualifications.  However, I had to read, or at least skim, through five whole paragraphs before I found my answers.  Even worse, the opening paragraph was all about his family.  I might have enjoyed all this information on the man if I had been able to find my answers up front.  But no, for nearly five paragraphs, he gave me his backstory.  At first I was a bit irritated, but then it made me realize that I am also horribly guilty of giving way too much backstory.  Oops!!  I did it again didn't I?!

Okay, okay.  So what's the deal with the backstory?!  I'm not going to say that there is anything wrong with the backstory.  I love the backstory!!  It can create meaning and understanding, but . . . it can also slow the story's pace and well. . . irritate readers.  Thus, I've heard many in the writing community caution against it.  Ah shoot, what's a writer to do?

Well, for starters, find out just how important the information is to your story.  If it isn't relevant, cut it.  I know, I know, that hurts, but your readers will probably thank you for it.  Next, make sure each scene has more current action than past action.  Give the readers what they want - action - and then sneak in some background history.  Weaving the past into the story from time to time will help create a balance between depth and pace.  Finally, putting the "meat" of the story up front will satisfy your readers making them curious to find out more.  Just don't make the readers work too hard for what they want; believe me they'll get irritated!

So, as you are busy writing and/or editing this month, remember to be thankful for all that is in your life, or even for that which is in your characters' lives, but don't get too bogged down in the backstory.  You have a story to tell and it is yours.  Now go out there and tell it!  And FYI, I really do love backstory so if you ever want to share it, I'd love to hear it!