by Ossandra White

The life of a writer, or any creative, can be reclusive. It is often romanticized; that depiction of a lone wolf, master of craft, holed up in a room with a hoard of snacks, a notebook, and a pen. Many envision a stressed-out maniac hunched over a computer, fingers flying across the keyboard like those of a madman. These depictions, though sometimes sad, are often true.

But many writers crave community. There is solace in being alone, but there is also value in interaction with others. Some people want to be seen, share their work, bounce ideas, brainstorm, or just have another person to talk to who understands the art. Thankfully, in this modern day and age, there are so many ways to connect with people from all over the world.

Authors have found community through Facebook Groups, Instagram accounts, Discord servers, online forums, and countless other nooks hidden deep within the World Wide Web. One often overlooked avenue, however, is the streaming platform known as Twitch.

What is Twitch?

Twitch.tv, a social website founded in 2011, is home to millions of gamers. Yes, you read that right. The site is primarily populated by people who play video games, sharing their screen to online viewers all around the world as they run through titles live.

The idea of millions of people watching one rando play a video game may seem odd to some, but the platform is very popular within that niche community.

Okay. But, what does this have to do with writers?

Twitch may be best known for video games, but streamers have the option to broadcast under a plethora of categories. Many are worth checking out, but the one I am most excited about, Writing & Reading, was just officially unveiled this month!

For years, writers have been on Twitch streaming under the closest makeshift category they could find, all while asking Twitch to install a special category of our own. It took a while, but we finally got it! Now, I only expect the writing community on Twitch to continue growing in popularity. If you weren’t already part of the community, I think it’s a better time than ever to hop on the bandwagon!

Discovering Writing & Reading Streams

Writing & Reading is a broad umbrella that covers everything from faceless authors hosting writing sprints to people showing you their novel’s words as they are typed up on the page. While the concept may seem a bit foreign, it quickly becomes more normalized by many people who dip their toes into it.

As a Twitch user myself, I have experience on both sides of the coin. I host streams and participate in other people’s broadcast events. Like the stories we pen, every single writing stream is different. The best way to figure out which one you will like is to click around and pay some authors a visit!

Below are a few folks I recommend you check out.

CoffeeQuills

CoffeeQuills provides a chill and cozy place to chat and work-along. They host writing sprints, mini-challenges, and fun games to help get productivity flowing. Though Coffee doesn’t normally show their face on stream, you can hear their voice between work sessions. Their friendly demeanor and infectious laugh are just a couple of things that keep people coming back for more.

In addition to this, there is often a lovely electro-swing soundtrack playing low in the background accompanied by Coffee’s clicky keyboard keys that clack as they type away working on whatever project they’re devoted to at the moment. In support of other creators, Coffee likes to showcase books written by authors in their community on the screen for everyone to see.

TheTigerWrites

TheTigerWrites facilitates a laid-back atmosphere that typically involves writing sprints punctuated by a passive game to help everyone take a break from their work. It can be quiet as TheTigerWrites walks on his treadmill while typing and showing you his story in progress, but when people enter the chat, he greets them with a friendly smile and holds meaningful conversations.

Sometimes, TheTigerWrites hosts sessions where he reads through his own chapters or other pieces written by members of the community aloud for all to hear. When people have questions or ask for feedback, TheTigerWrites is happy to provide suggestions, advice, encouragement, and prompts to help chase away any brain goblins or writer’s block his fellow authors may be suffering through.

Game_of_Tomes

Game of Tomes is a special event for writers hosted primarily on Twitch. Though the various challenges take place at different times throughout the year, the Game_of_Tomes streams often run on a regular basis even when there is no writing event active. The broadcast consists of a basic sprint lobby that includes a clock to keep track of Pomodoro sprints (25-minute work time followed by 5-minute break time).

Often, a peaceful crackling fireplace can be heard as calming graphics adorn the screen. The chat is usually filled with other authors who are discussing the progress they are making on various projects, and information about the Game of Tomes writing challenges can be found all about the channel.

WordiGirl

Of course, I had to put myself on the list! I am considered a variety streamer (which means I broadcast under a plethora of categories) but, for the sake of this article, I will simply cover what my Writing & Reading streams look like through the images and texts below.

When I stream in the Writing & Reading category, I often spin a wheel that determines how long we will sprint for. Then, I put the countdown timer on the screen so that everyone can see how many working minutes are left. In this case, my “Sprint-O-Meter” (as I like to call it) made me sprint for another thirty minutes even though it was past midnight and I had to work in the morning.

Sometimes, I display the document I’m writing in on the screen for the viewers to see. In this picture, the chat asked if they could peek at the WorldAnvil article I was working on during a sprint, and I showed them! They also wanted me to wear a silly hat.

After writing for a bit, it’s good to take a break. The image above features a word-finding game I occasionally play during resting time between sprints. Most everyone in the chat likes to join in on the fun before returning to their own projects.

Collaboration is something I really love and appreciate, so I like to have other writers on as guests in my stream. We usually talk about our writing process, give tips, run sprints, play writing games or exercises, and answer questions posed by members of the audience. Fellow author Tiberian64 is seen above joining me for a discussion about re-writing the first draft in a different POV, a problem we both faced.

More to Explore

Whether you are looking to join a good writing community, seeking a cool author buddy, or trying to start up a stream of your own, I have curated a list of Twitch authors I follow that you could check out, too. You can find that directory here.

The awesome thing about it is, with so many people streaming all over the world, you’re bound to find at least one author on any time you decide to check in. If your go-to person isn’t currently up, or no one I suggested is streaming, clicking the Writing & Reading tag on Twitch will instantly show you who is broadcasting now, and populate a list of videos and clips from those who typically stream under that category.

Conclusion

The internet can be a blessing and a curse. Yes, positive spaces are present, but one often has to sift through exhausting patches of negativity, irrelevance, or just plain confusion to find what they are looking for. My hope is that this article gives you a good starting point of how to begin your search and introduces you to a few lovely Writing & Reading streamers you can check out immediately. God bless and much success on your author journey!

If this is your first time learning about Twitch Writing & Reading Streams, what do you think about the concept? Or, if you’re already part of the Twitch Writing community, what are some of your favorite streams to hang out in and why? Please let me know in the comments below!

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About Ossandra

Ossandra White is a Jill of all Trades with too many ideas and not enough time. Lover of all things creative, you can often catch her making or admiring art of every kind. She also enjoys writing in every genre. When she’s not juggling seventy-one projects and working multiple jobs, she helps others as a freelancer for hire and as a teacher at the No Stress Writing Academy.

She can be found online almost everywhere under the username WordiGirl. Her current main project “Secret Agent Someone” immerses its followers in the mysteriously wonderful world of W.I.L.L.O.W.I.S.P., home to spies, lies, disguise, surprise, and a man with malachite eyes. Find books, short stories, audiodramas, games, and more at https://willowisphq.com or visit https://www.wordigirl.com to check out everything Ossandra is up to.

Photos in this post are all (c) Ossandra White.