Thursday 27 September 2012

I am in a writing group now, as I mentioned in a previous blog posting. It is small, but The Carrot (the sponsor) is helping us to do more promotion and perhaps flush out the writers in the area. There is a Facebook page as well (which I am mentioning simply to promote it here).

What are the benefits of writers' groups? As the Haliburton Highlands Writers' and Editors' Network say in their website, writers circles allow people to "share knowledge and resources"--people with a common interest gather together socially, true, but members can get feedback (formal or informal) about specific pieces of writing, and they can seek advice or make contacts related to professional concerns (marketing, that is).

Our group meets at and is sponsored by an arts collective that runs a community cafe (The Carrot). I certainly have been writing more than I did before I starting meeting with the group. Sometimes writers circles  are ephemeral, but some of them last a long time or become somewhat famous, such as the (sort of writers group) Bloomsbury Group and the Algonquin Round Table.

Thursday 13 September 2012

I have not followed any writing blogs until now, but I am going to follow three blogs as of today.

http://thewritepractice.com/   This is a finalist of the best writing blogs of 2011/12.
http://advocacywga.wordpress.com/ This is the blog for the Writers Guild of Alberta.
http://alitchick.blogspot.ca/ Michelle Alfano's blog. I looked at it and liked it.

Monday 10 September 2012

Writing Group



I am trying to start a writing group at the Carrot Cafe in Edmonton on Tuesdays from 7 pm to 9 pm. Writing groups encourages self-discipline. To attend regularly a writing group already demands discipline, but the group itself reminds you that writing is important. Having acquaintances and friends (even strangers) acknowledge your own commitment helps you maintain a commitment. The first meeting was last week. Right now a total of two people (including me) are in the group. The plan is to do writing prompts during the session--that is, the group will actually write rather than talk about writing. I had hoped to do manuscript reading (workshopping) once a month too. We need more than two people, though.