Today’s post is the first of two. You may recognize this installment from May, 2010. Friday’s post will be a continuation, telling more about my journey to find and learn from other writers and people in the writing world. Please click here. When you’re ready to comment do it on this page, if you would.
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On Becoming a Wordsmith 
Good article, Elaine. I belong to a writer’s group in London. We have about 10 Christian ladies, several of whom are published. Some have several books under their belts. Most are self-published, but a couple have been published by traditional publishers. We have a great time. There have been some changes in people, but most of us have been together for several years. One member is a graduate of the Longridge Writers Group, an accredited course, and she teaches at Fanshawe College. I think a couple of others took this course and one member is currently doing it. As you said, we need other writers in our lives to keep us going in such a solitary form of work.
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Hi Diane!
Welcome back. Glad your computer is whizzing away again. Thanks for the info about the Longridge Writers Group.
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You are welcome, Elaine. It’s a correspondence course you can do over a 2-year period, or sooner if you are able. I understand it is quite intensive. I think the cost is around $7-800, but I’m not absolutely certain. But for anyone wanting university credits it would be a good choice. Actually I think it is the only one that will give you credits. It will also open the door for anyone wanting to teach writing at college level.
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Hi Elaine,
I love having a group of writers to talk to and socialize with. And of course to learn amazing things from. In fact I know I never would have gotten anywhere seriously with my writing had it not been for the Colorado Romance Writers. It was worth having to join RWA to get to CRW and now I find that I get more from RWA than I ever thought I would. That’s why I try to make every monthly meeting and if I had time I would add in another group. Here’s to writing comrades!
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Interesting comments, Jessica. Especially about RWA. I’ve been thinking of joining them. My dream critique group would be with other historical fiction writers who are published or on the publishing track.
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As much as writing is solitary, I think it’s the creating process that’s the solitary part and I wouldn’t change that. But when it comes time to write it down, I want a sounding board, I want feedback. So I joined the WCDR (Writers Community of Durham Region). Like you, I think there is nothing better than surrounding myself with writers to cure ailing writer’s block.
At some point the courses just start being the same-old, same-old.
The good thing about the community is networking. At the last meeting I found someone to help me with written accents.
Keep you pen on the page, Elaine!
(Sorry for the bad ripoff of the hockey saying, ‘keep your stick on the ice’) 😉
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So true. The courses start being repetitive after a while. I like Twitter because I get to see what a lot of different writers are doing, saying, offering and sharing.
You didn’t have to apologize for ripping off the hockey saying as I don’t watch it so thought you were just being brilliant on your own. Let’s go with that, Dale!
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I couldn’t write without my writer’s group. Knowing a meeting is coming up gives me a deadline for the next installment, and meeting with like-minded people keeps me inspired and enthusiastic about what would otherwise be lonely, thankless work.
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Yes, and yes, and yes. We all need that motivation, don’t we? And I think you, with your young family, do extremely well to keep it all going. Kudos.
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Thank you for this post. I recently took a local writer’s class (I live near Woodstock, but NY Woodstock), and the class was great. I got some good feedback, but the Christian part of my book made the group a bit uncomfortable. Am checking out a few other local writers’ groups, hoping to find one that is good, positive critiques. One online place that is free and helpful is Critique Circle (recommended as one of the 101 top websites for writers by Writer’s Digest.) In this place you critique other writers and earn points to post your MS, and other writers come to critique your writing. I have gained much both as a critiqued and critiqued. The comments of the reviewers helped. Have a blessed day.
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Welcome, fellow Woodstonian! Thanks for the online suggestion, Heather. I have surfed a bit and know a lot of writing sites but I haven’t gone down the online critique group road yet. Best wishes in your writing journey!
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I swear that I left a comment on here earlier today, so my apologies if there is a double post. I wanted to mention that I thought this was a great post. I had fallen away from writing myself for a bit and made the commitment last year that once we moved I’d be getting back into it and trying to find a writing group in my new town. Once we were here, I did some google research and found Brian Henry’s course. This Feb I’ll be starting my third course with him (this one somewhat more intensive than the other two); he’s absolutely outstanding.
I also found your London/Woodstock comments interesting, as I lived in London for most of my teens and my early 20s. 🙂 I hope the writing group there is fantastic (and I wonder if I know anyone in it!)
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Em, you’re not losing your mind. Remember this was a post I’d done earlier and revisited? Well, you left your comment on the one in May, 2010. I wasn’t sure how to move those comments so just left them there. Perhaps there is a better way for me to have done this. I think next time I’ll cut and paste instead of putting the link to the older post in. Too confusing for people. I am so impressed that you wrote your comment again. You are the absolute best!
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