Here it is. The final post in the series about how to start your own writing group. In this post, I'm going to talk about some of the special things you can do with your writing group, and some other things to consider when starting your group.
As a group, the QPK Society has done many things that have connected us to the writing world, and to the world in general, so that we become more knowledgeable.
Here are some things to think about doing with your group:
Interview with a writer - Our interview was with Julie Johnston. For those of you who don't know her, she has won two governor general's Awards for her books, as well as countless other awards. Here is a link to a site about her:
http://www.tundrabooks.com/authors/Johnston_j.html
and here is a site about her books:
http://www.tundrabooks.com/authors/author.pperl?authorid=14667
She is an amazing author and you should really check out her books.
For our interview, we were able to contact Julie Johnston in person. If this option is not available to you, you may want to send a writer an email with some questions for him/her. Don't be too disappointed if they don't answer - writers are very busy writing their books, and likely get lots of emails. If you're lucky, you may be able to get some tips that you can apply to your writing.
Go to a book signing, or listen to a writer give a talk - If you check with a local library or book store, you may be able to find out about writers that are speaking in your area. It's a great experience to go withyour group to one of these events, and you can learn a lot.
Have a writing getaway - Everyone wants to get away from the buzz of everyday life. Pick a weekend where you all meet at the house of one of your group members, or a cottage if you can. You can all contribute to bringing food and cleaning up, and you can spend lots of time writing, reading, and discussing writing.
Go for walks, go to sports events, or volunteer - It's a lot of fun to get together with your writing group to do these activities. Having a break from writing can help you be more focussed, and, who knows? You might find the perfect idea for a novel or story that you've been wanting to write.
Participate in contests together - If you all live in the same area, find a local writing contest and have each person can submit a piece. Before you submit, you can read eachother's work and give suggestions, so everyone will have a better chance to do well in the contest.
Other factors to consider when starting a group:
There are many options to consider when starting a writing group. Maybe you want to meet only to write, and not do writing activities, or vice versa. Perhaps you don't want to meet at all, and want to email eachother pieces of writing for critique. You also may want to think about the type of writers that you want in your group. Should they all be the same age? Do they have to write the same genre of fiction? Do you want to allow poets, short story writers and novelists in your group? How about non-fiction writers? Before you go searching for group members, take some time to consider these points.
Things you need for your meetings:
- a writing notebook. This is a place to do all the activities you do at each meeting, to jot down new words, and to scribble notes about new story ideas. You can also draw pictures and maps in your notebook.
- a dictionary and thesaurus. Officially, we only have a dictionary that we use at every meeting, but I also have a thesaurus that we use when necessary (and yes, she does have a name - Veronica).
-pens and spare paper. As a writing group, these are a must have. You never know when you're going to need pens and paper!
- Love - this is the cheesiest of all things that you need, but it's only partly a joke - love is important. You must love your writing, love words, and love the books that you read. You must nurture your other group members and their writing, because they feel the same way you do. Maybe you think that you won't be able to make it in the writing world. We all have these doubts. Sometimes at meetings, we talk about our doubts, and how to overcome them. We all have the fear that our writing is going to go to waste, that it's not going to make a difference and that it will not be read. But, it all comes down to this:
The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you're willing to work.
-Oprah Winfrey
A writing group can improve your work in many ways. It certainly improved mine! Even if the only thing that changes when you find a writing group is that you write more often, everything counts in the long run. All you have to do is get out there and take the initiative to start something amazing. Where it goes from there? You'll have to wait and see.
-M
As a group, the QPK Society has done many things that have connected us to the writing world, and to the world in general, so that we become more knowledgeable.
Here are some things to think about doing with your group:
Interview with a writer - Our interview was with Julie Johnston. For those of you who don't know her, she has won two governor general's Awards for her books, as well as countless other awards. Here is a link to a site about her:
http://www.tundrabooks.com/authors/Johnston_j.html
and here is a site about her books:
http://www.tundrabooks.com/authors/author.pperl?authorid=14667
She is an amazing author and you should really check out her books.
For our interview, we were able to contact Julie Johnston in person. If this option is not available to you, you may want to send a writer an email with some questions for him/her. Don't be too disappointed if they don't answer - writers are very busy writing their books, and likely get lots of emails. If you're lucky, you may be able to get some tips that you can apply to your writing.
Go to a book signing, or listen to a writer give a talk - If you check with a local library or book store, you may be able to find out about writers that are speaking in your area. It's a great experience to go withyour group to one of these events, and you can learn a lot.
Have a writing getaway - Everyone wants to get away from the buzz of everyday life. Pick a weekend where you all meet at the house of one of your group members, or a cottage if you can. You can all contribute to bringing food and cleaning up, and you can spend lots of time writing, reading, and discussing writing.
Go for walks, go to sports events, or volunteer - It's a lot of fun to get together with your writing group to do these activities. Having a break from writing can help you be more focussed, and, who knows? You might find the perfect idea for a novel or story that you've been wanting to write.
Participate in contests together - If you all live in the same area, find a local writing contest and have each person can submit a piece. Before you submit, you can read eachother's work and give suggestions, so everyone will have a better chance to do well in the contest.
Other factors to consider when starting a group:
There are many options to consider when starting a writing group. Maybe you want to meet only to write, and not do writing activities, or vice versa. Perhaps you don't want to meet at all, and want to email eachother pieces of writing for critique. You also may want to think about the type of writers that you want in your group. Should they all be the same age? Do they have to write the same genre of fiction? Do you want to allow poets, short story writers and novelists in your group? How about non-fiction writers? Before you go searching for group members, take some time to consider these points.
Things you need for your meetings:
- a writing notebook. This is a place to do all the activities you do at each meeting, to jot down new words, and to scribble notes about new story ideas. You can also draw pictures and maps in your notebook.
- a dictionary and thesaurus. Officially, we only have a dictionary that we use at every meeting, but I also have a thesaurus that we use when necessary (and yes, she does have a name - Veronica).
-pens and spare paper. As a writing group, these are a must have. You never know when you're going to need pens and paper!
- Love - this is the cheesiest of all things that you need, but it's only partly a joke - love is important. You must love your writing, love words, and love the books that you read. You must nurture your other group members and their writing, because they feel the same way you do. Maybe you think that you won't be able to make it in the writing world. We all have these doubts. Sometimes at meetings, we talk about our doubts, and how to overcome them. We all have the fear that our writing is going to go to waste, that it's not going to make a difference and that it will not be read. But, it all comes down to this:
The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you're willing to work.
-Oprah Winfrey
A writing group can improve your work in many ways. It certainly improved mine! Even if the only thing that changes when you find a writing group is that you write more often, everything counts in the long run. All you have to do is get out there and take the initiative to start something amazing. Where it goes from there? You'll have to wait and see.
-M
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