Writing Groups

From my own experience, it takes people who really care and are passionate about writing, who want to receive and get constructive feedback, and who are serious about it all. By serious, I don't mean that they should all desire to get published or write bestsellers, but serious in the sense that they would take it as an enjoyable obligation that they *will* in fact attend and want to see work well.

Sadly, when I had created a writing group, the people were nothing like that, and it failed.

(Perhaps once I get published myself, and return to my home country to do the exactly same thing (except not for free :p), it all becomes a much more popular thing. Knowing the people here, sounds quite possible.)

In case anyone's wondering ... I can't remember the authors name.

I used to go to a writing group many years back and I thoroughly enjoyed it. We had an author as a tutor and we'd bring in anything we felt like reading out loud and get constructive criticism on it; it was very helpful and some great ideas were born. You know my genre Sue, so it could throw people a bit but it was fun and I learnt a great deal.

What helped even more - surprisingly - was that we'd study chapters, or even the first opening paragraphs of certain novels and then discuss what was good or bad about it; how a character was introduced for example and how we might change that intro. We had the funniest time over the beginning of Derek Longden's 'Lost for Words' (highly recommend that, but not the film). I also remember we'd read descriptions (funny, sad etc.) and there was one of a cat walking along a garden wall. Sorry, but I can't remember the name of that book.

Great balance as reading how other authors wrote was fun and didn't put anyone under pressure to read their own piece if they didn't want to; in other words, no awkward silences.

Hope this is of use to you. Are you starting up a group? Pity there's such a great distance between us.