On episode 21 of the podcast, I’m taking you on a tour of The Sanctuary, the new private membership community we’re launching at Read, Write, and Create headquarters. The Sanctuary is a private community for BIPOC women writers who want to get their work out into the world and who want to get paid for doing it.    I’m going to share the origin story of The Sanctuary, but I’m also going to share why writing communities are gaining in popularity, even though they are far from a new idea. So, even if you’re not a BIPOC woman writer or The Sanctuary isn’t for you, I urge you to stick around and listen anyway to find out how writing communities can help you optimize your writing life.    And of course we’ll dip back into history for a minute to learn how our literary ancestors used official writing communities to help get their work into the world.   On the show, you’ll learn:  Why I Created the Sanctuary Who Belongs in  The Sanctuary  What Goes on Behind the Doors of the Sanctuary and Why it is a Private Community How Communities Like the Harlem Writers Guild and the South Side Writers Group Inspired the Creation of The Sanctuary Why The Sanctuary is for BIPOC Women only   The episode is short and sweet, but I hope it answers all of your questions about The Sanctuary. If you’d like to learn more about our community, including how to apply, visit the new Sanctuary page on the Read, Write, and Create website.   For more resources, recommendations and inspiration to help you optimize your writing life, visit ReadWriteandCreate.com. While you’re there, be sure to sign up for the RWC newsletter.    The holidays are coming! Whether you celebrate Hannakah, Christmas, Kwanzaa or all three, you’ll be sure to find a great gift for the literature lovers in your life on the first ever RWC Holiday Gift Guide. Curated specifically for BIPOC readers and writers, there is something for everyone – even you - in our guide. And trust, it’s not an overwhelming list, so you can quickly find just the right gift and then get back to writing!   If you prefer to just gift everyone on your shopping list with books, be sure to visit The Read, Write and Create online bookshop, where you’ll find a whole shelf of books that make great gifts. Remember a purchase from our bookshop goes to support this podcast and independent booksellers everywhere.   If you enjoyed this episode or any of our other episodes, please be sure to leave a rating or a review on your favorite podcast platform.   Keep Writing.