Where do you people find writers’ groups?
I’m in Provo, UT, I write fantasy, and I need a good writers’ group. I’ve looked on craigslist and tried google, but I really haven’t found anything. Not meaning that I haven’t found good ones; meaning, I haven’t found any at all. I know that a number of you out there are writers, and I assume that most of those have some affiliation with a writers’ group, so how did you find them? Did you grow them yourselves, or were they community things, or what?
Also, do you shop around? What happens if I get there and I’m the only capable writer of the bunch? I enjoy helping others improve their writing (and in fact, I’d like to do that for a living) but I admit that I’m looking for a group with selfish reasons as well. I want help improving from people that I can trust.
Do mixed genre groups work very well, or should I only be looking for a scifi/fantasy group?
Has anyone found an online group to work? Do you use Skype or something, or just text to communicate?
Finally, anyone in Provo/Orem area in a good one? Mind letting me audition? :)
Finding a good writer’s group is a process, usually, not an event. It involves being a part of many writing groups, finding out what critique styles work for you, and discovering writers who have a dedication level similar to your own. If you write at a rate where you have something to submit every week, you want to be with writers who do the same. If you’d rather meet once a month, you want everyone to be on the same page.
I’ve been a part of around a dozen different groups. Usually, after a year or so of attending, I have a good sense of which writers I click with and which I don’t. At a later date, if another group has need of members, I know which people to invite.
Right now, my group consists of mostly people I’ve known for years and years. I met many of them during my undergraduate days. Your best bet in Utah is to attend LTUE, Conduit, or Superstars. I guarantee I can get you a writing group if you come to Superstars, but it also is very expensive.
Or try to take my class (I used to just let anyone in, but this year, the university has clamped down and only given me a room that seats 30.) There’s a shot if you show up on Thursday (when I’m going to have to turn away a lot of people who want to add) that I can point you all in the same direction and you can try to set up a writing group then.
What time of day does your class take place? On the off chance that you have fewer than 30 students, they wouldn’t just let me come sit in, would they? I’d have to enroll and pay, I assume. Probably worth it, though. I wonder if they’d let me audit the class for no credit for cheaper. I know that at Weber, a single class for one semester was around $800, and I assume that’s going to be a bit higher at BYU. Again, probably worth it, however.
I don’t think that I could pass as a student for long due to some significant shagginess, but I’d certainly be happy to show up when you’re going to turn everyone away and help them form writer’s groups. Other than that, I guess I’m going to have to wait for LTUE and Conduit. Superstars looks like it’s for someone who’s closer to being ready to publish than I am, but I may be mistaken about that, and if I move to the day shift at work I just might attend. I’ve only got about 5 chapters and a few stories, though, so publishing is a ways off. What I mostly need is a deadline, preferably weekly, and a few better minds to help me clear away the crap.
I honestly just used to let people sit in, without paying. But the university is troubled by this, hence the cap. I doubt that there will be room, but if you want to show up, look up the 318R class taught by me. It’s thursday night, 5:10. I honestly don’t know the room number—my assistant will point me in the right direction on Thursday, and I’ll go.
Superstars is indeed probably something beyond what you need right now, particularly for the price. I think it will be useful to anyone, but I think that you’re right that right now, you need a deadline and a writing group far more.
As an aspiring fantasy writer do you really need a writers group? I mean certainly they seem like a nice thing but I am uncertain they are a necessity. Your thoughts?
No, certainly they aren’t needed. Stephen King warns people away from them, as a bad writing group can do far more harm than good.
I didn’t get one until I’d finished a few (unpublished) novels. At that point, it was extremely useful to have one for me—and has continued to be useful. They can be a great tool. But there are dangers. (Letting the group hijack your book being the biggest.)
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