Nut Hatch in the Branches | Mixed Media by Lee Rawn
Writing is a solitary endeavor. We spend hours spilling crafted words onto the page. At the end of a writing session, rereading our work, we might think, This is genius or What’s this drivel?
I had the good fortune to attend a presentation at our local library, facilitated by Anne DeGrace, a local writer. She delivered a comprehensive look at writing groups.
All writing groups have their own individual flavor. Some form a group for feedback. Others are interested in a group to strengthen their writing skills, through writing exercises, and sharing tips and knowledge. Others want a mix of the above.
Anne also covered critiquing. It’s valuable for writers to garner feedback for their work. But courtesy is paramount. It is not useful to hear “That’s very nice.” Point out what you enjoyed about the piece, and what you felt could use some editing and why. Critiquing is delivered in a way that you would like your own work to be critiqued; respectfully.
Writing groups can be genre specific, ie. creative non-fiction, fiction, poetry, sci-fi fantasy, short story, or encompassing the lot. I met a delightful sci-fi fantasy group at the presentation.
There’s also the social aspect of a writing group. And in my experience, I have always found after a few hours with other writers, I leave feeling energized and ready to continue with my solitary genius…or drivel.
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