Have you ever been in a writing group?

qualitygal · ‎10-04-2010

This is not counting school-type writing groups.

Caaareful Shopper · ‎10-09-2012

Yes. About 10 years ago, I decided to take a poetry writing class at the local college (waaaaaaay after my college days). The class was already filled up, but I called the professor and told her I was "old & stubborn, and would sit on the floor outside her classroom door listening in and doing all the work." She let me join the class. We became fast friends (she's now my best friend), who also teaches English Literature classes there and at another college. The class was one night a week and ended at 10pm. Four of us would sometimes go to the local Chili's after the class for appetizers and to discuss the poetry the class wrote, and books of all kinds.

As an off-shoot of that class, we formed a writing group. We'd meet once a month to share our own poetry or other written prose. We took turns either suggesting a theme or a one line phrase as a jump off mark to create the next meeting's writing. We shared them, and sometimes wrote more in the meeting if that's where the discussion took us. Then we went home with everyone's writing. It was just like a book club, but it was our writing club.

It lasted six years. When we decided we couldn't keep it up (one moved away, one got a new job and stopped writing...), we had all the final versions of our writings over those six years made into a beautiful book by a professional printing company. We had several copies made, as if they were Pulitzer-worthy,. To this day it's one of my most treasured belongings, and time of my life.

zitawins · ‎02-28-2017

I currently belong to an ongoing writing group, and have for around 12 years. The participants come and go, but we have a core group that comes faithfully. We welcome all levels and genres and do our best to offer kind but cogent critiques. The idea is to improve one's writing.

Some of us, including me, are published, but we encourage people to submit their work and offer suggestions as to venues. All in all, it's a wonderful place to be on Saturday mornings, one I hate to miss.

qualitygal · ‎10-04-2010

@Caaareful Shopper, I just love your post. Thank you for sharing!

Drythe · ‎07-09-2011

So happy for y’all. Word craft has always fascinated me.

I hope to find a group when I stop working.

"Animals are not my whole world, but they have made my world whole" ~ Roger Caras

Caaareful Shopper · ‎10-09-2012

Thank you @qualitygal. It was a wonderful time.

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

No but I think about writing and doing things like that when I retire.

ALRATIBA · ‎07-15-2016

This topic reminded me of The Inklings!

It was an informal literary circle at Oxford .... C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, and others during the 1930/40s.

There have been a number of books written about the group (check Amazon). A few months ago I participated in a webinar presentation on The Inlkings with Joseph Pearce.

Squirrel Lover · ‎03-10-2010

Yes. I joined our county's writing group in January. I wrote a novel and they are critiquing it. I critique their work too. It has not been as helpful as I had hoped. I would like to find an extra group who focuses exclusively on novels.