TnT: writing circles.

[azuire]

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I've just moved to a new place and there's a local writing group recruiting.

Now, I know they say writing is a solitary art and most of us have taken to the internet to share our work (case in point: this community), but I've never been part of a group that meets up every week or so to discuss writing, and I've rarely met another writer in person. I have to admit I'm curious.

What do you think of these writing circles? Any stories to share?

Comments

[pipisafoat]

Just the university classes, really. The one I am in now, the poetry workshop, is great because the professor doesn't try to teach everyone and say nobody else knows what they're doing. She listens to us just as much as we listen to her - I mean, more, because there are more of us. She's got more street cred, but nearly every time we meet, she points out when someone says something she didn't know or hadn't thought of and whatnot. Which is extremely important imo.

I'd like to find such a group outside of a university in the future. The trouble there, as I hear (but have never experienced), is that there are all kinds of writers. Nothing against anyone, but in a group like that, it just works best if most everyone's on the same page. I'm not a novice at writing. I'm not a novice at critiquing. If you show up, hand me something you've written, and ask me to critique it full-blast, I'll do just that. Many novices can't handle it the way they thought they could, and that just ends badly for everyone. But if you get a group of more advanced writers - I'm not saying everyone has to be published, but this can't be the first short story you've ever written - everyone's on the same page, they've been through critiques before and know how to take it, know how to give it, know how to apply these critiques and bring back a more polished piece rather than saying "You're all wrong. This is perfect the way it is."

[azuire]

Ohh sounds like you have an excellent teacher. Lucky!

Re: the critique thing, SO MUCH YES. I'm always so tough a critiquer, and when I found someone who appreciated me looking through their work, it came as a bit of a shock. But then, I find that some people just can't be told they're awful.