Why Shouldn't A Writer Ask For Help?

As a writer, asking for help with your writing is not a sign of disability. Despite the fact that people could be bogged down by certain situations or conditions, everyone still needs help at some point. I find it funny that in some writing groups online, there are people who are dedicated to shutting down anyone that asks for help with his/her writing. Some say, 'Do simple research!'; Ask Google!' and stuff like that. It's quite shocking, seeing that these groups are usually a large community of writers from all over the world with different climates, problems, conditions and resources. The main idea behind having such communities is to bring writers together and ensure a writing (and generally)-friendly environment where everyone can feel comfortable and at home. If people shouldn't ask for help on such groups, then what are the groups for? We should all have joined Google search groups instead, if there's anything like that. By the way, not everyone can use Google the way you do. Some can't afford to use the internet (but social media sites are usually free in some places), some have very poor network/internet speed (my problem most times) and some can't just understand the way Google answers questions. Google is no human. It can't talk to you the way a human can. Too much information can sometimes be as good as no information. If we're sending people to Google, what's happening to our humanity? Why can't a writer feel free to approach another writer and ask for help with his/her writing instead of an emotionless computer? I read somewhere that robots will take over the earth in a few decades and I'm thinking, what if not a few decades but it's actually happening now? Are there robots among us, pretending to be humans, whose real job is just to drive traffic for search engines like Google? < Just kidding! lol > 

But seriously, there's absolutely nothing wrong with a fellow writer needing any kind of assistance, no matter how basic that assistance may be. For all you know, that writer may just be writing the next great bestseller of all time and you told him off because all he needed was name suggestions for his MC's cat! Few years later, when his book is topping the charts, you'll be among those rushing to buy it! You'll tell your friend, 'Oh that's a really great book. I read it twice already!' But you forget that you refused to help with the name of a cat in that book just a few years ago, telling the author that every writer ought to have good imagination and that no one should be writing his story for him blah blah blah. 

Bottom line, let's stop pushing away people who need help. Stop sending people to Google! Asking for help is not a crime. It's actually proof that you're smart enough to know that there are others smarter than you are. Two heads are always better than one. Starting today, do your own bit to stop the bullying and encourage people to overcome their fear and ask for help. 'Hi everyone! Help needed!', that's how I start my 'ask for help' posts on writing groups. I'm not ashamed to ask for help because it's no sin. It's actually a necessity, that's why we need beta-readers, editors, proofreaders and the whole bunch of them. So folks, help a fellow writer today!