Writing Groups

My new focus on becoming a published author has begun.  I have moved to the beautiful mountains and snow is currently coating the ground out my window.  With this type of weather, there is no place I would rather be, than tucked nicely inside my home, with laptop, and hot cocoa in hand.  Truly, this is how I sit.

Fortunately for me, these mountain valleys offer more in the way of progressing my writing, than just encouraging me to stay indoors.  They have offered to me a fantastic group of other authors who encourage me to stay focused, give me feedback, and often only make me covet their success in the writing field, but on that subject I digress.  They are fantastic individuals with untapped depths of knowledge and experience.

I first went to a writing meeting about three months ago.  I had been planning to attend for at least three months prior to that.  It was scary for me, to read something of my own in public and to go into a room of complete strangers to do so.  I am a teacher so being in a group and talking is not new to me, but most often I am sharing knowledge of others that I have learned and that I am passing on, this was different.  English and Creative Writing, neither are the focus of my educational pursuits but are often associated with talented authors.  Many of the individuals in this group have that background, so it was even more difficult to turn over my story, riddled with typos and punctuation errors.  I did it, though, and each time I go, I find that it is getting easier.  They are kind, caring, and truly want to help.  They often share pieces of their own and are open to feedback in return. I love reading their stories and can offer my own opinions and advice in relation to capturing an audience and I am finding that for those that are open to feedback, and I assure you some are not, that I am coming up with new ideas for my own work too.

The writers guild meetings have been a great place for me to find my place in the writing world, to share my stories, and to get feedback on how to better engage a reader.  Being open to their feedback has not only helped me come up with a few better lines, but has given me a slight boost of confidence.  Because of these meetings I can now say, “I am a member of the writers league, I am a story crafter, a word weaver, and soon to be published author.”