This is a call to action for writers, a summoning to serve. Unless you’ve modeled yourself on Emily Dickinson, you probably interact with fellow writers all the time, in person and online. If you have been writing for a while, you’ve accumulated some hard-won knowledge and lessons learned. I wrote the following to convince you to share what you know.

I just took up the mantle of president of the Atlanta Writers Club (AWC) once more, 15 years since I started my first term (2004-2007). Why did I do this again? In part because nobody was waiting in the wings this time. Since my friend Marty Aftewicz took over in 2007—followed by my other friends Val Connors, Clay Ramsey, Mike Brown, and Ron Aiken—I promised each one that if nobody expressed an interest in succeeding them, I would step in. This time, in I had to step. The other reason is that the AWC, the Atlanta Writers Conferences I run twice a year, and the critique groups I support constitute my calling.

While I love to write, and I do some form of it every day, this doesn’t galvanize me the way service to other writers does. It’s enlightened self-interest: I know somebody I help today will give me a tip, buy one of my books, or assist me in some other way down the road. In addition, when these writers achieve milestones on the journey toward their goals, the joy I feel makes my efforts more than worth it.

At the same time, though it’s regrettable that an organization which now boasts nearly a thousand members hasn’t produced a more robust pool of volunteers, I get it. Not everybody is motivated by the abstract things that drive me. I think an even bigger reason for this, though, is because we haven’t done a good job of inviting people to contribute. If one doesn’t ask for help, everybody assumes their assistance is not needed.

So, now I’m asking.

I’m not doing so just on the behalf of the AWC—many of you reading this are not in the metro Atlanta area. Rather, this is a general request that encourages you to get involved in your local writing community, wherever it is.

No doubt you’ve heard the expression “pay it forward.” Others have helped you along the way, whether by offering free advice about the craft and/or business of writing, or in an instructional book they’ve written or a workshop they’ve offered. Do you need to give it all away? Absolutely not. If you have valuable guidance to share and can monetize it, more power to you.

All I’m asking is that you don’t keep it to yourself.

Most of us are reluctant to admit jealousy and envy when a fellow writer lands an agent, gets a book deal, or achieves that coveted “bestseller” status. It’s the rare individual who doesn’t at least momentarily think, “Why not me?” Yes, creatives tend to be competitive scorekeepers just like everybody else. And, yes, it’s easy to horde the pearls of wisdom gleaned during a hardscrabble journey. But like that trucker who flashed his high beams to warn you of a speed trap around the bend or the friend who told you about a product that solves a problem you had in common, you are in a position to help somebody avoid pitfalls or take a path toward success. Why not do that?

Wherever you live, start or join a critique group to help others improve their craft. Offer tips about a piece of software or online resource you discovered that makes writing more effective or efficient. Mention an article you saw about a hotshot agent seeking the same genre in which your friend writes. Volunteer with your local writing organization to help them grow and thrive.

By assisting others, you’re paying a debt to those who’ve helped you while laying the groundwork for the next generation of writers to pay it forward as well. If we all do this together, we all win.