Finding the Writing Group that Works for You

 As a writer, you already know that writing is a solitary act.  As we capture the words on paper, we struggle on our own.  We writers do some pretty peculiar things: sit in a chair for hours either scribbling furiously or staring at a blank screen; talk to ourselves in different tones and voices; make odd gestures in the air, capturing the words to describe how a touch feels on your skin.

Pretty strange stuff.

Non-writers don’t get it.  While they try to be supportive, some of the stuff we do is downright odd. Only a fellow writer would understand.  We all need a sense of community.  A place where we can feel safe and understood.  A place where we can be who we are.  This is where the true value of belonging to a writers group lies.

If you’re considering joining a writers group, there are many choices.  The key is to finding the one that works best for you.  Here are some steps to follow to find the group that is right for you:

Step 1: Evaluate your needs.

Start with your most immediate reasons for wanting to join a group. Are you looking to hone and improve your writing skills?  Would you like to receive feedback on your writing? Are you ready to publish but don’t know what to do next? Are you interested to meet other writers and get to know like-minded individuals.  Identifying these immediate goals will help to identify the right kind of group for you.

Next, evaluate with honesty and humility, your writing experience level.  How many stories have you written? Have you taken any classes or workshops?  Do you have a story actually written? Or do you have a story idea in mind that you would like to write, but haven’t?   If you’ve written a lot, you may find yourself too advanced for a group of newer, younger writers.  If you’ve never written something, but think you’ve got a good story to write, a group with many professional writers may not be the place for you.

Examine the time and energy available to you that you are willing to commit to a group.  All groups require a certain level of participation and commitment to be mutually beneficial to all participants.   If you do not have much time available to you to be out of the home, an online group might work best for you.  Also, you must be willing to share and contribute to discussions to gain the most benefit. If you’re only interested in what you can get, some groups may not be available to you.

Step 2: Understand the kind of groups available to you.

There are several types of writing groups available to you. While an in-person group would be great, online groups options are abundant. Both come in the following forms:

Writing Practice Groups. These groups are focused on the practice of writing.  The hold regular meetings where the participants sit down and write through the session.  Each writer can work on their own pieces, or create fresh pieces from prompts.

 

Critique Groups.  These groups are created specifically for the exchange of feedback between each of the participants.   Typically, prior to each session, the participants exchange their work  with each other to read in advance.  During the session, the participants exchange their thoughts on each other’s pieces.  Given the often sensitive nature of the act of offering and receiving critique, most critique groups follow very strict guidelines to ensure that the sessions are beneficial to all.

Social/Support Groups.  These groups are mainly focused on the social aspect of being a writer.  The main goal of such groups is to create connections with other writers.  During meetings, the members discuss the joys and ails of writing, their journeys to publication, their war stories and victories.  Only a fellow writer will understand the plight of the other.  Sometimes, other writers are invited to speak to the members to share their thoughts or give workshops or talks about certain aspects of the craft and the publication business.

Accountability Groups.  These groups are focused on helping their members accomplish their tasks.  Usually groups like these are created when all the writer members are on the same creative footing, such as creating their first drafts; completing revisions, etc.  The members report to each other their progress at regular intervals.  

Step 3: Identify the writers’ group that you would like to join.

Once you understand what kind of group you’re looking for, it’s time to start your search.  There are three elements you should be looking for in considering a specific group. Some of these elements, you may be able to discern, early on, and some you may discover later on after participating.

1. The group has a stated or identified purpose or mission:

The group must have a defined purpose or mission.  Whether it is to simply be a support group for writers; or provide critique or other valuable feedback.  While it is not necessary for the group to have a written down mission statement, a successful writers’ group’s main purpose must be clear shared by all its members. This mission must match your own goals.  If not, you won’t feel like you are in the right place.

2. The group is structured.

How many members does the group have? Is there a leader? Are there other members who act as part of a leadership team?  Are there subgroups within the whole that provides the support you are looking for? Are there any “secret groups” that seem to emerge within the group? Is the structure flexible?  As the needs of a members of the group evolve, can the group address those changes?  Are there opportunities for members to join the leadership team, or be a major contributor to the leadership?

A successful groups’ structure must be identifiable and unambiguous, and you must be comfortable with the structure of the group.  If not, you could feel lost or like a guppy in a tank of sharks.

3. The group follows through.

Do the meetings happen as scheduled? Do they start on time?  Do the members fulfill their commitments? Do the members participate in the activities with sincerity and cooperation?  If you find that the group does not follow through, you will feel let down and disappointed.  While this is one of the elements that is not discernible from the get-go, attending one or two meetings should be enough to figure out if the group will meet your needs.

Step 4: Join the group and evaluate your experience.

Once you’ve identified the groups (yes, groups) you are interested in, give them each a try.  This is the only way to truly find out if the group is a good fit for you.  Especially, whether or not the group follows through on their commitments.

Keep in mind that you must understand the requirements to be part of the group.  Is there a membership fee? If yes, do they offer a free trial period?  Look into what opportunities they offer aside from meeting attendance.  In some groups, especially critique groups, there may be attendance/participation requirements in order to receive critiques.  There are very specific reasons for this, and one of the foremost reasons is to keep the members work, dignity, and privacy safe.

Try to attend at least two meetings to get a better feel of the fit.  You must leave the meeting (even the very first one) feeling invigorated, excited, and inspired.  If at any point you feel unwelcome, insecure, or lost in the shuffle, the group may not be the right one for you.

Step 5: Try other groups.

It may take several attempts to find the right group for you.  Don’t give up or be disappointed if a group doesn’t feel right.  There are many options available. You will find a group for you.  

Membership in a writers’ group is not a requirement to succeed in this business.  You can certainly go it alone if that is your inclination.  It certainly is a long journey though. Making friends and meeting people along the way, especially ones who understand your goals and your intended destination, sure makes it all the  more enjoyable.

For your consideration:

The South Jersey Writers' Group was founded in 2007 to provide networking and development opportunities for local writers. Meetings are held regularly for topic-based discussion about the craft of writing and the publishing industry. Some of our members are published, some are working on it, others just write for themselves. We are all ages, all genres, all backgrounds, and all levels of experience. The group also offers a critique group, write-ins, blogfests, and workshops to their members and the public.  

We are always open to new membership and offer a 60 day free trial membership period to all prospective members.  Please visit www.southjerseywriters.com to sign up.

Please visit us online at Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, and our blog.

Finding your writing "voice"

by Rich Voza



One of the greatest compliments I have ever received was from a colleague who had just read one of my sarcastic emails sent to inform the rest of the staff about something unimportant.

     Sue: “You will never get away with sending an anonymous letter.”

     Me: “Whaddya mean?”

     Sue: “Because I don’t even have to look at who these stupid emails are from.
              I can just read them and know they’re from you.”

     Me: “Thanks. I think. Right?”

     Sue: “Right.”

It was a way of knowing I had reached, found, or created my writing “voice.” It’s one of those intangible things that is very difficult to teach and not everyone can learn. If you ever read an agent’s website to find out what kind of material they’re looking for, you’ll often see they want writers with a “strong voice.” Some writers will read that and ask two things.
 
     What the hell is a “voice”?
     How the hell do I get one?

The short answer to #2 is “time,” but I’ll expand on that later. The clinical answer to #1 is “sentences and thoughts using an identifiable style, often formed with certain sentence structures, word choices, types of humor, genre, subject matter, or another consistent characteristic.” This might not be easy to explain, but I’ll give it a shot.

If I fast forward to the middle of a Spielberg movie or a Springsteen song and hit “play,” it’ll only take a dozen or so seconds for me to know who is responsible. I wouldn’t be able to explain how or why I would know, but I would know. With Spielberg, there’s something about the balance of sound, the close-ups during dialogue, even the way the camera pans. With Springsteen, it’s his signature sound from his Fender guitar, although there’s no mistaking any of his songs once he starts singing.



This “voice” thing also works if I flip to the middle and start reading most any book by Stephen King. If you ask me or anyone, “But how do you really know?” sometimes the answer might be “I just know.” BTW - I hate that answer, but it’s the only one I have. Feel free to leave your own explanation, and feel free to tell me that mine makes no sense. I won’t disagree. What we might disagree on is how each of us can arrive at our own “voice.” In a way, your writing “voice” is similar to your real “voice.” Follow me on this extended analogy.

Most people dislike leaving a job and becoming the “new guy” at a different job. I hate it, that’s for sure, for more than one reason. First is the obvious – that you had just been fired or laid off or something like that. Second is the annoying – there’s too much to deal with, such as new names, new procedures, navigating the layout of the building, being extra polite around others, and the pressure of doing great work because you’re the new guy. It takes a while before you can get comfortable and start expressing yourself as you did at your previous job, the one you had for about 7 years. If you think about it, chances are it took you a while to get comfortable there, right?

In most cases, if you’re new, don’t speak out. Become a ghost. Don’t do anything to stand out. Shut up, blend in, and nod in agreement at all times. Don’t express yourself. If you don’t like what they’re putting in the coffee machine, smile and learn to like it. Work. Work more. It’s your job, so work. Slowly, you will see better ways to do things. You will make little changes that save time. You will see better, more efficient ways of doing things. You will make personal touches, improvements, and others will notice. Let your performance dictate “who” you are, and then you can stretch your legs a little bit.

Others might ask what you are doing because your hard work is getting noticed. They might even ask for tips or suggestions so they can try some of what you are doing. You will be flattered, but you will also be a little annoyed. You will want to tell them to go figure out their own personal touches instead of borrowing yours, but you will also feel good that others like your innovations, so you won’t mind if they copy a little.

Eventually others will see your work results – without your name on it – and know it is yours because they have learned your style, your voice, your unique way of doing things. It takes work to get there.

No writer has a voice when they start out. If you are writing short stories, it might take 10 before you begin to feel your voice. It might take three novels. It comes down to writing, writing more, not liking what you have written, rewriting, revising, and writing some more. If writing is new for you and someone’s writing advice is to develop your voice, ask them how they developed theirs. If they don’t know, then ask how you are supposed to follow advice from people who can’t explain their own advice. The reason I push this is because I love people who give advice that they themselves don’t fully understand. Many people will say “show, don’t tell” and “find your voice,” but those suggestions are worthless without explaining how to actually do it.





Finding and having a writing voice is pretty much finding and having a comfort level. It comes with time spent writing but also reading. Think of, or find a favorite author, and try to nail down what you like about that author’s work. It might lie in the voice. Two of my favorite authors are David McCullough and King.  I’m not really a fan of most of King’s stories because of the endings, but his writing voice is fabulous. His sentences are lessons because he writes with what I call “necessity.” He doesn’t waste time with a characters hair and eye color, height or weight, favorite foods, or any of that stuff – not unless it’s vital to the story.

I recently read his short story called “Mile 81,” about an abandoned highway rest stop at which about a dozen people arrive at but only about three of them leave alive.  There were a few cops, two parents, a horse trainer, a handful of kids ranging from about 3 to about 12, and a few other people.  I can recall a physical description of only the horse trainer, a hefty woman. King knows his job is to provide us with action, not pictures. If he provides the action, then readers will provide their own pictures. For more thoughts about that, you can read this recent post.

As for your own “voice,” it comes with three things: time, practice, and honesty. That means learning to write like "you" instead of trying to write like someone else.  Voice comes from writing, not liking what you have written, and writing some more until you start to like what you're writing.  A female friend blogs often, and she is not shy about using profanity or writing about topics that would not be discussed in front of children.  She often uses short, deliberate, sometimes incomplete sentences that cut right to the veins instead of slowly peeling layers of skin.  To read her writing is like jumping onto a moving roller coaster as it slows around a curve.  It is an unusual style, but it is clearly a voice she is comfortable with.

When I used to coach a school baseball team, the infielders would shy away from groundballs for fear of getting hit in the face or chest. I would tell the kids this great lie. “Look, no matter what you do, you’re going to get hit five times this season. So just let yourself get hit and get those five out of the way now. Then you won't get hit anymore.” The same goes with your writing voice. It’s a certain amount of words, chapters, or stories away. For you, it might be six short stories, and for someone else maybe it’s two novels. However far away it is, just start writing now because the more you write, the sooner you will get there. There are no road signs, but you will know when you have arrived.

A Day On the Greene

         


                                                                       

                   SJWG Authors: Bob Cook, Joanne Costantino, Marie Gilbert, Dawn Byrne 

                                                               

                                  SJWG Authors Janice M. Wilson (seated) and James Knipp (standing)

Super G and Super D along with fellow members of the South Jersey Writers Group had a wonderful day at the beautiful and historic town of Smithville, N.J. on the Village Greene.

                                                                          

 

We were part of the Authors on the Greene that was hosted by Wendy Birkbeck of Through the Looking Glass Tea Shop. She did a wonderful job of pulling this event together. We sold lots of books and made many new friends, like the lovely ladies from Eight Women Writers

                                                                            

                                                          the lovely Kristin Battestella Snouffer

                                                             

                                                           our very own Nanci Rainey

                                                                                    

                                                                             Jeff Markowitz

                                                                                         

                                                                        Paul Evens Pederson.

                                                                               

                                                                 

There were vendors, specialty shops, food, and...ghosts. Hey! Sometimes, the ghosts come looking for me. Ghost hunter and author, Richard J. Kimmel, and I spent some time talking about two of the buildings on the Greene that definitely were haunted.

                                                                             

 

                          The weather was just right and the music kept everyone on the upbeat.

We even had a wedding take place during the Authors event. The lovely bride and groom were nice enough to pose outside of the bed and breakfast where they’ll be spending their wedding night. Congrats to both lovely people.

                                                                            

I think our writer’s group will be growing larger because a lot of people at the event wanted information. We’ll be taking applications this October.

http://South-Jersey-Writers.com

Tall Tales and Short Stories to Invade Smithville

                                                                        

                                            

So, the dynamic duo of Super G and Super D are at it again. We're off on another adventure. Where are we going, you might ask?

                                                                          

Dawn and I are heading down the shore to the beautiful, historic, and quaint town of  Smithville. Yes, we'll be selling our anthology of 2012 and promoting the upcoming anthology of 2014. There will be lots of venders there, and let's not forget the shops.
                                                                      
                                                                      

Come down, visit our table, and say hello. You'll find us along the Village Greene. Dawn and I, along with other authors from Tall Tales and Short Stories from South Jersey will be happy to tell you all about the South Jersey Writers Group and maybe you'll become a member.

                                                                      

This is a big event and a perfect way to enter the fall season. So mark this down on your calendar:

Authors On the Greene
Saturday, September 14th, 2013
From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.



https://www.facebook.com/AuthorsOnTheGreene

Book Signing for Tall Tales and Short Stories 8/24/2013

                                                                    

Come out and visit the authors, buy our book and we will sign it. Have a cup of coffee and chat with us about our new E Book and the new anthology on the way.
                                                                      

                                                                          

We'll be at Espressit Coffee House on 18 Haddon Ave. Haddon Township, 08108

phone# 856-854-1001

from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, August 24th

  Check out our new E book site:                                                         
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/347134

An Interview with the Fabulous Author Nanci Rainey

                                                                       

We have some very talented people in the South Jersey Writers Group. I'm trying to do interviews on all of them. I love this job! Why? Well, not only are our members talented, they are nice people. One of the talented people in our group is Author Nanci Rainey.

Let me introduce you without further delay to Nanci.

 

 

 

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I have been blessed with four loving children, the center of my universe. There is nothing more treasured than the bonding of a mother and child. I enjoyed watching them grow, through the terrible two's and the rebellious teens, they always knew they were loved. Even now as adults, they all know where home is. And then there are the grandchildren, there is nothing in the world better than a grandchild. This is my chance to have fun with the children, enjoy every moment I am with them until they go home. But I worry, and I worry and I worry, for my children, for my grandchildren, for their health, for their jobs, for their safety. I never really had a good night's sleep once I crossed the threshold of motherhood. And suddenly in a flash my earth was shattered, my world shut down, I was slapped in the face with the most terrible fate. One of my cherished angels was taken from me, and my life as I knew it was forever gone. I was essentially a shell of a person going through robotic motions. It took me several years of grief groups and constant persuasion from my children to “get out of my black” and start living. Trouble erupted in the household and I realized my children not only lost a brother, but they were losing their mother as well. I had to shake this and stop living like a monk. Billy was so full of life and he would not want me to be acting this way. I picked myself up, shook off the dust, took off the black (gradually, as Italians do wear black for five years), eased into navy blue and went back to work. I was the breadwinner in the house at that time, so I had to return to corporate America.

When did you start writing?

 

I started writing when I was in grade school and we were encouraged to keep daily journals. These journals were to record our daily activities by poems or short paragraphs.

What inspires you to write?

 

Watching children playing on the beach can stimulate memories, I write down what I see and remember and start writing from there. Or there are other landscapes that can inspire a story, a dream of traveling or being in an exotic place. I try to use my imagination. I try to people watch. I get the most fun and inspiration from watching the actions and reactions from others to get a feel for reality in stories.

What type of stories do you enjoy writing about?

 

Currently I am enjoying fictional writing. I enjoy writing about people in a different place in life.  My imagination can run wild and I can share a new life with another character or two.  With the proper research tools, I am able to travel to a city I’ve always wanted to visit without ever leaving home. It’s a wonderful way for me to see the world.

                                                                    

Tell us about your book.

JUST ONE MORE DAY IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT is a personal memoir of my son’s twenty-three month courageous journey as he battled a most rare form of cancer, DSRCT, which stands for Desmoplastic  Small Round Cell Tumor. At the time, there were only less than 100 published cases in the New England Journal  of Medicine of DSRCT. We were so very fortunate to have met the doctor who wrote the protocol for treatment of this disease, Dr. Kushner, from Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York City. He worked closely together with our doctors at Jefferson on amounts of chemo, radiation and stem-cell transplant directives.

 

My story developed from a daily journal kept from my son’s treatment and hospital stay. There was so much information to absorb, that I started taking notes from day one and from that day forward, my notebook never left my side. If I had to leave the hospital for some reason, I left whoever was there with my Billy, in charge of taking notes should a doctor or someone enter the room and perform any diagnostic test or have any information to relate whatsoever; even as so minute as a blood pressure or a temperature. I kept note of all of them as well. I kept notes on m son’s moods, his wants, likes, dislikes and worst pains, etc. We had some very deep conversations, some of which were included, some so personal were only alluded to.

What inspired you to write this book?

My son originally wanted this book written to show how far he had progressed from the worst possible disease for a young teenager. He then whispered to his aunt when he was very sick that he wanted her to make sure I wrote the book for others to see how horrible this disease was. It took me so very long to do, as it broke my heart each time I began writing from my notes and reliving a portion of his life in the hospital.

Did you go traditional or self-publish?

I chose to go traditional publish. It was just a personal choice.

Are you planning on writing another book, soon?

Yes, I am working on a fictional piece at present.

A little birdie told me that you were a guest on a radio show. Please share the experience with us.

 

Yes, it is true. I was invited to be a guest speaker on the radio show, Cancer Corner Live, out of Pittsburgh, PA, on Wednesday, June 19, 2013. The radio show was a wonderful experience.  The host, Bob Grayson, is a motivational speaker and also a cancer survivor. He read my book and was very inspired by my words, as his cancer was similar, he shared most of the same types of chemotherapy drugs, had undergone the same stem cell replacement and was a year older than my son would have been. He said he remembered back to when he was 18 and the things he was doing and couldn’t believe how my son could do things he wanted to do while sick. He said he read my book five times and his wife read it a few times herself. His wife liked my book as well, as she related to it more, as a caregiver, like myself.

 

If anyone missed the interview, it can be heard from the link on my website:

www.nancirainey.tateauthor.com 

What advice would you like to share with newcomers interested in writing.

 

I would tell any newcomers to enjoy their writing. It does not matter what you write. You don’t have to stay with one genre. I happened to publish my memoir first because it was something I felt had to be completed before I would even consider doing anything else because of my circumstances. But if you want to work on a book of poetry, then go for it. If you would rather start out writing articles for magazines or smaller news circulars then begin there. Wherever you are comfortable, there are no real rules for where you begin. I do believe joining a writers group for support and encouragement and information.  But again, I must emphasize, you have to enjoy what you are doing. Writing should be a joy not a chore!  Enjoy and good luck!


It was a pleasure having Nanci Rainey as a guest on the SJWG Blog and I'm hoping to interview her again when her next book is published.  Please go on her site and learn more about the always fabulous Nanci Rainey!!!

South Jersey Invades the Philadelphia Writer's Conference

                                                                              

On June 7^th, Philadelphia was all set to host the 2013 Philadelphia Writer’s Conference. www.pwcwriters.org  Guest speakers were invited; workshops were set up; manuscripts mailed in for critiques and contests; Agents and Publishers were there to hear our pitch; everything was set to start at 9 a.m.

                                                                           

What the city of Philadelphia didn’t know was that a group of writers from across the bridge were on their way. It was an invasion from the South Jersey, indeed, an invasion of the South Jersey Writers Group.

                                                                                 

James Knipp, Shelley Szajner, Helene Cooke, Janice Wilson, Marie Gilbert, Gregg Feistman, Denise McGlinchey, Mark Doenges and Carol Waties entered the Wyndham Hotel at Fourth and Arch with notebooks in hand and ready to learn from the experts on how to spruce, nip, tuck and whatever else needed to be done to set their writing careers soaring.

                                                                     

 

The opening speaker was Ed Rendell, former Governor of Pennsylvania and author of A Nation of Wusses: How America’s Leaders Lost the Guts to Make Us Great.

                                                                                  

  The Keynote Speaker was George Anastasia, veteran Philadelphia Journalist and author of five books, Award winning author of The Last Gangster and Blood and Honor.

                                                                      

                                                               

We had the best lunch on Saturday at the Pizzicato on 3^rd and Market Streets. Our waiter, Brian Scott, was an absolute sweetheart and he made sure that we were back to the conference in time. Hint to the owner of Pizzicato: “You have a wonderful employee on your team!”

                                                                   

                    On Sunday we went to the Continental Dinner on 2^nd and Market.

                                                                          

                         Glenn Walker would love the French fries in this place; very tasty! 

                                                                

 

                    There was even something for the Zombie Lover of the group; me.

                                                                           

I had the pleasure of taking two of Author and New York Times Bestseller and Multiple Bram Stoker Award-winner, Jonathan Maberry’s classes. No, it wasn’t a class on how to kill zombies, but how to promote our writing, but if I run into zombies while selling my books; I have my katana.

                                                                    

                                   Janice Wilson won a prize for her writing. Can you tell?

Everyone from the South Jersey Writers Group left the three day conference feeling energized and ready to finish those manuscripts and send them to Agents. There will be many more of the SJWG members going next year! Are you ready for us Philadelphia?