My dear friend Jen must’ve been reading my mind. I was planning to post about the writing group I’ve attended (and loved) for years and years: Terrace Writers’ Guild, or TWG. (Okay, so it’s not the cleverest moniker; at least people know what our club is about!)
Jen, however, beat me to it and in a lovely, poetic way that makes you feel like you popped into the meeting for a few minutes. I may still write about it too at some point, but here’s her take on her writing group. And mine. I think the affection and appreciation she feels is pretty clear. How about you all . . . Do you have a face-to-face writing group you attend? Did you ever? What are pros to having one? Are there ever cons?
Happy writing,
Ev
Ev is a columnist with The Terrace Standard, and her work appears in a variety of regional and international publications. She has short fiction published in Cleavage, a Sumach Press anthology, and forthcoming in AlienSkin Magazine. Alongside her creative and business writing, she offers editing services and craft workshops for writers of all ages and ilks.
6 responses so far ↓
sandysays1 // June 17, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Been in 3. One was a positive experience. Two not so. Big problem? Participants preoccupation with style and genre, not craft.
jenniferneri // June 17, 2009 at 8:39 pm
I’m looking for one now. It’s been some time since I’ve been part of one, and I miss it. Not only for the feedback but for the connection with other writers. Plus I love reading the work of others…
Ang // June 18, 2009 at 3:30 pm
I’ve been in four. TWG was awesome and still is. Two, not so much: in one, the members were too preoccupied with ego, and in the other, there was a terrible lack of interest in writing. However, the one I just joined looks promising. It probably won’t be like TWG, but at least the people like to write and they like each other!
Ev Bishop // June 19, 2009 at 3:18 am
Dear Sandysays,
Thanks for posting. Snobs are tiring; writers who feel that good writing is limited to one specific style of writing or genre are, well, _limited_.
What do you write?
Ev Bishop // June 19, 2009 at 3:23 am
Jennifer, I really hope you find a new writing group. Having flesh and blood people that you actually have to check-in with face-to-face at a regularly scheduled time is a great way to be be kept accountable. Good luck in your search!
Ev Bishop // June 19, 2009 at 3:25 am
And TWG _still_ misses you, Ang–long distance is not the same (but it’s better than nothing!). I’m glad you’ve found a new group to call home though (we’ll just pretend your bad experiences didn’t happen.
)