Writers often see their writing as a task that is done alone, but why is that? In school we learn that two heads work better than one, but often as adults we seem to move away from that.

Here are 5 reasons why you should look into writing collaboratively, starting today:

Reason 1: Stop writer’s block, once and for all

Have you ever begun writing a story, well-planned or not, then got stuck half way through? Maybe you should remember group work in school. Your teacher/professor assigned you a task and you had to work with other students to get a result. Even though you might hope you’ll get an equal effort from every group member (which often times doesn’t happen), you still manage to get the assignment done! The work doesn’t have to be perfect, it’s more the effort that counts. MORE: On Writing: Why Planning Beats Seat-Of-Your-Pants Every Time

TOP TIP: SOME work, will always trump NO work! So keep going.

Reason 2: Write directly **with** your fanbase

There aren’t many things more disappointing than working diligently to finish a story and it not being well received (as Sad Affleck might feel right now!).

So, have you ever wanted to know what your readers would think of your chapter or book BEFORE you finish it? I’ll assume that the majority of you will say YES!

You may be surprised of the many benefits of releasing the beginning stages of your work to the masses before it’s perfect. But doing this gives you the opportunity to read the comments and feedback to reflect on aspects you could have missed, mistakes you could have made, details you needed to add, etc. MORE: 6 Things To Remember When Dealing With Writing Feedback

TOP TIP: Use platforms like Skrawl, Create50 and Wattpad to get feedback AS you write and feed it into your story and revisions. Reason #3: Get Competitive!

In the writing world, you’re competing with hundreds of other writers for notoriety, plus readers for their attention. But when do you compete to test yourself? Hardly ever, I bet.

Sites like Skrawl can encourage writers by having them work together. One person begins the narrative (called a “bit”), then others submit their entry on what they think should happen next. The community then votes on their favourite entry. The winner’s entry becomes the NEXT part of the narrative!

TOP TIP: Using contests like Skrawl’s can motivate you to write, plus contests can also create deadlines and parameters for your stories. MORE: 4 Tips For Building Your Screenwriting Competition Submissions Strategy

Reason # 4: Spark A Debate

It’s never wise to go with just ONE idea or opinion. Whether you are debating on a character’s name, the result of a boxing match last night, or if that dreamy celebrity would make a great spouse, writing it out with a likeminded community can prove to be very helpful. You won’t be tempted to settle for your own thoughts on a matter, instead you’ll see both sides for comparison and reflection … This makes you a better writer!

TOP TIP: Find other people online for discussion and debate, feed it into your writing. Join Bang2writers on Facebook to find your tribe!

Reason #5: Build your OWN community

Building relationships online is the ideal way to find your audience. Social media makes this easier than ever: blogs, Youtube, Twitter hashtags, Facebook groups and other platforms enables you to create a following and ensure you can get your story out to your ideal fanbase. What’s not to like? Get going!

TOP TIP: Create a “following” for your project and bring your fanbase to YOU. MORE: Connecting With Other Writers, Filmmakers & Agents Online

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BIO: I’m Allie Daniel – I work full-time managing communities and making chaos out of my own. I’m what you call an occupational nomad because of the vast amount of projects I love to get involved with. Long story short, I’ve worked in areas of non-profit, production (film/editing) and social media.