Home
>
Writing
>
Starting a Local Writers Group

Starting a Local Writers Group

My husband is no poet, so when I offer my carefully pruned poetry for him to review, I get the usual and unsatisfying reply: "That' nice sweetie." Furthermore, he could care less about whom the Poet Laureate is and why I love his smoke pit conversation type poems. I could look elsewhere in my house for literary discourse, but I'd be met by conversations that might go a little like this, "'A' is for apple. Say 'aaaaaah'"

Upon realizing that I couldn't be truly literarily satisfied by the people in my house, I decided to hunt for a literary group. I did find a small reading group that met weekly, but consequently, there was a 3-5 year old age restriction. Shortly after being disappointed in my hunt for like minded folks, I decided to pick up my writing magazines and float away into my own little daydreams of literary exchange. Then, I found an article in Writer Magazine that gave tips and hints for people who conducted writing groups. It sounded like a great deal of fun to be doing exercises, critiquing projects and reading and discussing literature with a group of other literary enthusiasts. I really wished that there was something like that in my local area, so I started one.

If you are interested in starting a writer's group, here are a few ways you can get the word out about your new venture.

1. Ask local book stores, coffee shops, and libraries if you can post flyers detailing the nature, meeting times, and contact information for your new writing group.

2. Don't neglect the colleges in your local area. See if you can post flyers on their boards.

3. Large Supermarkets usually have bulletin boards near the entry way. They usually get read quite often, so post away.

4. Place classified ads in your local circulation. You might even try sending out a press release for your new group, whether or not you are a published writer.

5. If your local area has a roller channel, pay the fee to post your slide.

6. Get the smaller local businesses in on the action. They might be willing to keep flyers or cards on hand that advertise your writing group, especially since there is a chance that it will bring them more business.

Though you might be excited to launch your new advertising campaign for your new group, keep a few things in mind.

-Make sure you have a good location secured for the eventual meetings.

-Plan ahead for large groups as well as small groups. If more people come to the group, you will have a chance to have similar style writers work together. Small groups, however; offer the possibility of in depth critique and serious discussion. It is easier to keep the focus when there are only three to five members.

How to Conduct Your Writing Group

This is entirely up to you and the members. You will find that there will be novelists, fiction writers, horror writers, non-fiction writers, journalists, business writers, poets...Etc. You can tailor your writing group to the diversity of your group, or, if your group consists of a predominate genre; you can tailor the group to exercises that pertain to that genre.

Some writing groups meet monthly, while others will meet as often as every week. Depending on the lifestyles of the members, and the type of writing involved, you can tailor the meeting times to each of the members. You don't have to plan out the entire year before starting your group. In fact, you can write "Our first meeting will be on [date]. Meeting dates TBD. If you cannot make the first meeting, contact {info} for more information." That way, you can work out the details with the members rather then planning something that will only work for a small percentage of the people who are interested.

Some Writing Group Ideas

1. During the first meeting, you can ask each of the members to write a short blurb about their writing goals and what they would like to get out of the writing group. Ask them what their preferred genres are and what they would like to improve.

2. Always talk about the preferred criticism style before unraveling another writer's work line by line. Some people are looking for serious in depth critique, while others are looking simply to discuss the content of their work.

3. Share published literature. Collectively read a novel or several short stories and discuss what works in those stories. Good writers tend to be good readers.

4. You can start each session with a free writing exercise to get the writing molecules in motion.

5. You can give take home assignments. These can be vague writing prompts that will work with any type of genre. Writer's Digest usually has quite a few good writing prompts that can be used for fiction writers as well as poets.

6. Introduce guest speakers. If you have a favorite writing instructor from college, don't be too shy to ask him or her to give your writing group a little visit.

7. Discuss publication venues. It always helps to discuss some of the literary journals that accept submissions.

8. Start a small literary journal! You can do this by collecting and working on the pieces that you and your members do in the writing group. These little journals don't have to be fancy, nor do they have to be widely distributed. Distributing a few journals to the library and to other non-profit organizations can be a good way to help your group gain some experience in the writing industry.

Overall, a writing group has a plethora of possibilities. A great attribute of a well tuned writing group is the fact that you might life long mentors, prot?g?s, and friends.

Devrie Paradowski is an aviation weather forecaster and freelance writer who has written several weather related articles for her local circulation, "The White Falcon." She has also written dozens of content articles for the web. Her creative pieces have been featured by Adagio Verse Quarterly, Poetry Renewal Magazine, Meeting of the Minds Journal, and SkyLine magazine. She is the author of a chapbook of poetry called, "Something In the Dirt," which can be found at http://www.lulu.com/devrie. She is also the founder of the Fire and Ice Writer's Group.

Airbnb cleaning service Arlington Heights ..

In The News:

Red flags like processing fees, urgent countdowns and requests for full Social Security numbers expose fraudulent settlement sites targeting consumers.

Comprehensive analysis of Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps examines usability, routing accuracy, data handling and features across the top navigation platforms.

Expert analysis reveals whether wired Ethernet or wireless Wi-Fi connections are safer for home internet use, plus practical steps to secure your network from attackers.

Australian construction robot Charlotte uses sand, crushed brick and recycled glass to 3D print fireproof, floodproof homes with reduced carbon footprint.

Cybercriminals are using fake invitation emails to trick recipients into downloading malware and stealing personal information and data.

Flying drones could help retailers fight a 93% increase in theft rates as Flock Safety promotes airborne security systems to track suspects and deter crime.

The Fox News Artificial Intelligence Newsletter brings you the latest news on the emerging technology every Saturday, highlighting top stories.

Hacker group Radiant stole data from 8,000 children at Kido nursery chain, demanding ransom and directly contacting parents with intimidation tactics.

As 18 states implement bell-to-bell cell phone bans, creative students use Google Docs, iMessage on MacBooks and Post-It notes to stay connected in class.

A sheriff's captain says deputies often spend hours writing reports between calls, but Axon's AI program, Draft One, helps them save crucial time in the field.

Sora 2, OpenAI's new video-generation app, can create AI-generated videos based on a singular prompt. The results are both mind-blowing and terrifying.

iPhone and Android users can reduce Wi-Fi calling battery drainage through settings adjustments, background app limits and stronger Wi-Fi connections.

Work email scams are becoming harder to detect as criminals use AI and spoofed addresses to trick employees into opening malicious attachments and links.

From her Arizona living room, Christina Chapman ran a covert hub that helped North Korean operatives infiltrate U.S. firms, netting $17 million in stolen salaries.

UC Santa Barbara researchers developed a soft robotic intubation system that achieved 100% success rates for experts and 96% for paramedics with minimal training.

Scammers exploit probate filings to target grieving families with fake fees and debts, Kurt "Cyberguy" Knutsson reports.

Automotive giant Stellantis becomes latest victim of widespread Salesforce breaches affecting companies like Google, Cisco and Adidas this year.

A woman from Washington reunited with her missing Maine Coon cat Louie after 11 days using Love Lost, a free AI-powered pet recovery platform.

Expert cybersecurity tips help Mac owners remove malware infections and strengthen defenses with antivirus software, password managers and system updates.

Meta's AI chatbot training rules bans sexual roleplay with minors and block access to child abuse material as regulators scrutinize its safety measures.

Online banking users face a new threat: web injection scams that overlay fake pop-ups to steal logins. Here’s how to spot them and protect your accounts.

Meta introduced Teen Accounts to Facebook and Messenger while launching a School Partnership Program for U.S. educators to report bullying within 48 hours.

Executive order signed by President Donald Trump tasks Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s MAHA Commission with using AI to find new cures for childhood cancers.

New FileFix attack tricks Facebook and Instagram users into running malicious PowerShell commands disguised as Meta account maintenance to deploy StealC infostealer.

Step-by-step instructions help users migrate to Windows 11 while preserving emails, contacts, documents, and software licenses during the transition.