Okay, the idea behind this is that it is an informal group to help people gain confidence in their writing and to provide honest critique of work. How this will work is as follows:
Everything will be organised via email (wordsmith 'at' ix-tab.com). This will be done anonymously and I won't share your email with anyone (even if they're really pretty and willing to bribe me with sexual favours), this also includes other members of the group...people will almost certainly have different views on privacy and it's just easier to manage that way.
The group exists to do two things:
1) encourage people to start writing
2) offer a forum for receiving feedback on your work...any work, not just work done for assignments. So if you have something you'd like critiqued please submit it to the email address.
Submissions should be up to a maximum of 100 lines of poetry, 20 pages of script or 8000 words of prose. Like I said, maximums, you don't have to feel bad if you don't write up to the limit...it's about quality not quantity. Longer non homework submissions will be put in a queue, so please don't fret if things take time.
You don't have to do every bit of homework if you don't want to and choosing to opt out of a particular months homework doesn't mean you are excluded from the group (that also means no complaining if someone chooses to opt out and make it known). You will however still get work to critique.
You are not obliged to share your homework if you don't want to (you may have written about something quite personal and just not want to share), but obviously by not doing so you will lose out on receiving any critique which could help you improve as a writer.
Assignments will be set every other month, that gives everyone plenty of time to write and to critique the previous submissions (this time frame is open to review). Submission date is the first saturday of the month (obviously allowing for being bi-monthly)
please try and be constructive in your critique, I shall take a dim view on bashing and negativity
if I get a lot of submission, I may stock pile them to use during lean months, so at least we have something to review
If things don't seem to be working let me know, I may be an evil super genius with her own secret volcano lair, but i'm not a despot.
and most importantly...have fun.
-------------------------------------------------------
Homework assignments:
There are two choices this month.
write something on the theme of snow or write a story (in whatever form you like) about meeting your deceased father (obviously after he's dead).
you have until the first saturday in march. Now get writing.
Quote from: Helena on December 18, 2010, 06:45:40 AM
I know there are a few people who write around here, would an informal writers group be worth setting up, just to help with any creative blocks?
Well you know I'm in!
Creative blocks... you mean like Lego for adults? ;)
Yes sorry ;D I'll get back to my scribbling...
you mean lego isn't for adults?
I haven't had other writers to kick things around with in years. Sounds cool.
Well if this group gets going maybe someone can help me figure out how to take what others say is a great idea and make it flow on the pages.
I've been dabbling with this fact-based idea for over a year but I think the problem is I don't know how to make a book out of it. I picture it in my mind but can't take that and put it into words. Oh yeah, and I keep getting distracted by other things. ::)
For JM.
For all writers want to think they are 'Artists' the fact is most writing is craft, not art, and putting a book together far more an engineering project than an artistic inspiration.
Like any engineering project its about planning the work and working the plan. Real books (as opposed to all the books that people want to write) start with outlines.
I'm currently writing a science fiction story that takes place on alternate pre-history earth. In order to make this as fully realized as I can, I've made notes not only about the plot, but also biodiversity, cultures, languages, and technological advancement. Most of these things will never be seen in the story itself but it helps to have a good set of building blocks from which to draw in order to make everything fit together.
I write at least a dozen short stories a month, most of 'em never make it past the "first draft" stage, but I actually won a school reward on one in Sweden, and a couple are on my DA, old and new.
I'd love to participate in some prompt or something.
I'd love to pitch in. I have too many stories just bobbing around in my head. I spend more time drawing images from them instead of writing but I want to get back into the habit of writing again.
Sounds fun.
I have been meaning to start writing. I don't really know what a writing group entails, though.
Quote from: tekla on December 18, 2010, 12:43:16 PM
For JM.
For all writers want to think they are 'Artists' the fact is most writing is craft, not art, and putting a book together far more an engineering project than an artistic inspiration.
Like any engineering project its about planning the work and working the plan. Real books (as opposed to all the books that people want to write) start with outlines.
I tend to ride the book the first few chapters, to get a feel - then the construction starts and most of those few chapters are canned, but I need to get the feel of the place first.
Quote from: tekla on December 18, 2010, 12:43:16 PM
For JM.
For all writers want to think they are 'Artists' the fact is most writing is craft, not art, and putting a book together far more an engineering project than an artistic inspiration.
Like any engineering project its about planning the work and working the plan. Real books (as opposed to all the books that people want to write) start with outlines.
This is true of pretty much any art, bar conceptual art.
Whenever I set out to create a piece of art, there is always the design process to consider, then several stages of planning.
Fortunately after so long in this field, most of the process occurs mentally now, rather than on paper.
I tend to spend most of my time living the book instead of writing it. But if you are seeking a subject i am told by many that my life is a great novel. :-*
Quote from: bearded on December 27, 2010, 05:35:18 PM
I have been meaning to start writing. I don't really know what a writing group entails, though.
Well I run a screenwriters support group in Plymouth which you can take as an example of what such a group usually involves ( www.plymouth-writers.org.uk (http://www.plymouth-writers.org.uk) ) It's a non commerical group open to all comers, though sadly impractical for any of you to attend due to vast distance involved. I put up the link here purely so you can get a feel for what such a group is like.
We meet every month in a local art college and each time one of our membership submits a piece of writing for the group to read and discuss for constructive feedback.
Then each month we also discuss a topic. Next month for example we are talking about the Moral Compass within a story.
It's a good little group - membership of about twenty or so who range from complete beginners to produced and fully credited writers.
No reason that we should not do something similar online a bit like the art exchange thread. To protect copyright material would have to be shared via PM or email as appropriate but in principle we could offer each other support encouragement and when needed feedback.
I would think it would be a problem Emailing the stuff around as you would know who wrote it. Writers groups tend to work best when the original reading and group critique is done without knowing who wrote it, that way the focus is 100% about the words on the printed page (or screen) and not drifting into personal issues.
Quote from: tekla on December 27, 2010, 06:12:17 PM
I would think it would be a problem Emailing the stuff around as you would know who wrote it. Writers groups tend to work best when the original reading and group critique is done without knowing who wrote it, that way the focus is 100% about the words on the printed page (or screen) and not drifting into personal issues.
An interesting point Tekla - all I can say is that it doesn't seem to be a problem in our plymouth group, but there may be a difference in dynamic there because we all know one another IRL so to speak. But yes I can see the advantage of "blind" reading where the author is concealed until after the feedback has been given. Thank you. I may suggest that to my Plymouth group and see what they think.
Can't imagine it'd be blind for too long, especially online. Someone's writing style will probably end up quite clear.
Well, while that was true for the graduate school seminars where we did the same thing (but there were only 6 of us), some of the larger groups I've been in you don't always know. Plus it offers the person who wrote it an out if everyone hates it, you don't have to acknowledge it as being yours.
Booyah!
I think it's safe to say there are a lot of folks here who'd be interested.
One of my New Year's resolutions is to start on one of my new book ideas (in other words, start from scratch), and take it to the bitter end. I have a horrible tendency to get distracted by too many projects. I think I have six going right now, in various stages of completion. :icon_anger: I'm determined to keep my focus on ONE project, and FINISH it!
So yeah, count me in, even if I only end up as moral support!
Definitely in. I've been needing a creative outlet for so long now.
Quote from: tekla on December 18, 2010, 12:43:16 PM
For JM.
For all writers want to think they are 'Artists' the fact is most writing is craft, not art, and putting a book together far more an engineering project than an artistic inspiration.
Like any engineering project its about planning the work and working the plan. Real books (as opposed to all the books that people want to write) start with outlines.
Well I'm much more the engineer than the artist. I have more facts and hypotheses complied than story written. The former is easy for me, the latter, not so much. I can imagine scenes in my mind. Putting them down in writing that keeps the reader interested (much as I imagine the scene in my head would) is where I falter. Maybe I'm too picky. Maybe my expectations are too high. :icon_writers_block:
My daughter, who has done a lot of writing, suggested I write the outline first. When I do that it's either insufficient or it's almost like writing the story. (I hated doing outlines in school!) I was thinking of creating a chronological story about each character. Then take parts from that and insert it in the story. It would start in the now, then there would be flashbacks, back to now, etc. All intended to keep the reader wondering what's next.
I started this over 18 months ago. If I ever finish it, I just hope I'll be alive long enough to enjoy the rewards (if there are any.) ::)
The outline is the plan. I tend to write first for a while to see what it is and where it's going, do the outline and work it from there. But what I write is non-fiction, so that might be different if I was doing it out of whole cloth.
I used to participate in a writing prompt thing which was a little like an art trade in that one person would hold all the material and then post it without names.
A theme and a "type of writing" would be decided.
Usually it was just poetry or prose that were the options, but still.
In case of prose it would be short stories and a word limit would be decided. 500-600 words was HARD! for me, while the 2000-2500 limit worked best, but then I tend to be a little verbose when I feel I have something to say.
Then a deadline was set, usually a couple weeks was all we had to work with, at most.
Then all was posted and each piece was numbered.
Then we'd have a month during which everyone could read all the pieces and give their feedback on them and atop the thread there'd be a poll so people could vote for which one they felt was the best piece of work this time 'round.
Once a year we'd do a "proper" contest of it and the winner got a prize even.
I tended to rank 'round the top, but then.. it seemed many of the participants were the sort that fancied themselves as great as their favorite authors, but couldn't even really get basic grammar right. You know the type. It's found in every amateur group.
Me, I know I'm not that good... but I do love the praise when I get it. ;)
Quote from: tekla on December 27, 2010, 06:12:17 PM
I would think it would be a problem Emailing the stuff around as you would know who wrote it. Writers groups tend to work best when the original reading and group critique is done without knowing who wrote it, that way the focus is 100% about the words on the printed page (or screen) and not drifting into personal issues.
I've got enough spare email address with my web hosting package that I could set up an anonymous email and then forward it to everyone interested. I'd probably suggest people email submissions to the mail box and I'll forward them on to everyone who's interested in participating. we could probably do it as a weekly or fortnightly thing, at the end of the allotted time, email your thoughts back and I'll forward them to the authour in question. Okay, I'll know who's submitted stuff, but I can't see anyother way it would work.
If people are happy with this as a course of action I'll get things set up :)
Some of us in the chat room tonight were talking about writing and it reminded me to come check this thread.
I like the idea of:
Quote from: Miniar on December 28, 2010, 08:48:35 PM
In case of prose it would be short stories and a word limit would be decided. 500-600 words was HARD! for me, while the 2000-2500 limit worked best, but then I tend to be a little verbose when I feel I have something to say.
Once a year we'd do a "proper" contest of it and the winner got a prize even.
(and the anonymous idea, too, since I, for one, have never really written :D)
Who is still up for this?
edit: added quote above
also
Quote
I tended to rank 'round the top, but then.. it seemed many of the participants were the sort that fancied themselves as great as their favorite authors, but couldn't even really get basic grammar right. You know the type. It's found in every amateur group.
Me, I know I'm not that good... but I do love the praise when I get it. ;)
geez, no pressure on the rest of us :) haha
i think it sounds cool =)
As some of us often prefer to write poetry and screenplays the idea of writing "xxx words" on a particular theme doesn't really work for me as a regular ongoing way to proceed because screenplays are always measured by pages and poetry by lines, never words!
Then again I do have the lurgy at the moment so I may feel more positive when I recover.
writing "xxx words" on a particular theme
Sounds like college.
Well, how things run depends on what people want to do. those that already write may not wish to distract themselves from their personal projects. Those that want to start writing would benefit from having what is essentially homework set :laugh:
Both can be peer reviewed and good constructive feed back can be supplied by other members of the group to help people develop (that is after all what this is all about).
Now if this is going to be serious i need an idea of who would like to participate, how people would like to participate and what kind of frequency people would like to get stuff to review and homework...i'm thinking once a month.
maybe i should start another thread.
I would be interested in trying. I cannot say I would be good, but would enjoy the endeavor. :)
I remember in school it was not so much what was to be written but the mental exerecise of meeting a writing challenge that got the artistic juices flowing. It seems just thinking and focusing on something even not of your own inspiration would stimulate your own inspirations.
We won't be writing a book on the internet but stimulating a thought process in hopes of getting stirred up to write the book that is lying dormant within us. :D ( optimistic of me)
Just a thought.
Hugs.
Patty
[note: I clearly have no idea what I'm talking about regarding how any of this works, so I was just "making up stuff in my head" to try to imagine it. I certainly defer to professional group runners like Jenny.]
### words would never be a rule I could follow fully unless it was a "x-y words" with a nice and comfortable gap.
BUT.
Putting limits does not stifle creativity, it encourages you to find solutions within the frame, which I find encourages creativity.
the "words" could be "lines" if the project of the week is poetry.
Think about it, what'd you write if the project was to write a poem, free form, 3 lines, the theme being "trust"?
Is it harder to figure out how to fit your thoughts into such a small space because you're pushed to come up with a new solution?
Or is it easier to work with a frame?
Isn't coming up with new solutions a creative endeavor?
I want to join!
Okay, I have set up the email address.
What I'd like everybody to do who is interested in participating to do is email wordsmith 'at' ix-tab.com detailing how they'd like to participate, any ideas for things we could do and how frequently we should do things. also any ideas for homework
once we've got an idea of numbers we can start rolling
well just a thought for the whole word limit thing, i was in a drabble group on livejournal one time and the word limit for each topic was, say, 100 words i think. but that was just sort of a loose goal, lots of people went to 150 or more, and sometimes there would be a special 'double drabble' that the limit is 200 now. but no one ever cared if someone went over or under by a bit, just putting a number just sorta of puts a bit of a challenge out there.
I'm interested in this group if it's still going on... I'd also like a group of trans and trans friendly people to test my novel on.
Quote from: Helena on January 08, 2011, 12:32:35 PM
Okay, I have set up the email address.
What I'd like everybody to do who is interested in participating to do is email wordsmith 'at' ix-tab.com detailing how they'd like to participate, any ideas for things we could do and how frequently we should do things. also any ideas for homework
once we've got an idea of numbers we can start rolling
I think this is what you should do if you'd like to participate. The opening post are the instructions for the first writing assignment.
Have fun.
Hugs.
Patty
Currently, I'm writing poems for a chapbook. I have someone who will help me with the publishing and the printing. I have loads of short stories, essays, and commentaries. I have stabbed at playwriting but I'll do that another day. Sounds like a good idea.
Gennee
:)
Is this still ongoing, or am I several years too late?
@DannyM I don't have the answer for you regarding the "Susan's Writers Group" but I will find out for you and either I or someone else will get back to you with an answer.
I did reply to your other thread that you started... "How to Find a Good Book" with my Welcome Message and information about the Susan's Place site and Forums.
Be certain to look over the informative LINKS that I posted in my Welcome Message to you on your other thread.
Again,
Welcome to Susan's Place.
Danielle
For those that would like to join in with the writers group please go to the new thread to do so. Hugs
Mariah
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,237827.0.html