: Writers' Groups
Ern Carne takes a humorous and helpful look at writers' groups, suggesting the kind of group you should join if you really do want to improve your writing skills.
Ern has had stories and currently has an article in the e-zine
To join the local tennis club once was the done thing. Then lawn bowls claimed attention for awhile. Anglers clubs died on the end of the line. The mob to be with today is a Writers’ Group. They’re easy to find. Writers gather together like seagulls around a dead prawn.
Writers Groups are all different. I have listed them into 3 categories; jovial, purist, and havoc.
The Jovial Group are similar to a social club. All members come along for a chat and a cup of decaff. If there is any feed back on your writing it usually goes something like, ‘I just loved your story, Irene. What made you choose pink for Felicity’s dressing gown? She seemed to be a sea-blue person to me. Your simile about being “as lonely as the teaspoon that’s always at the bottom of the wash-up water” made me smile.’
All this makes you feel wonderful. You wonder whether you are on your way to a Pulitzer Prize. Don’t be fooled. Praise does not improve your writing and it could lessen your chance of success by making you think this first draft is brilliant.
The Purist Group usually have a leader who reads nothing but the classics. They all follow his observations about your work and compare you to writers you’ve never heard of. ‘You really should read Leonie Getwell’s “Life is Mysterious” someone will tell you.’
They say “avante-garde” and “experimental prose” a lot.
The Havoc Group. If you are really serious about your writing, hunt around until you find a Havoc Group. This is where it all comes together.
On your first visit you may feel you have joined some sort of weird sect, where everyone is intent on destroying the other person. Their feedback is more likely to be, ‘A taxi driver like that would never last in Sydney. Give him some verve and mettle. Don’t have him sit there hoping the next fare will give him a tip.’
This kind of ripping up of your precious prose will be hard to take at first. You may come away, swearing to never again go near the place.
It gets easier as you see the benefits and improvements their suggestions make to your story. So be wise, and take a good look at what is being suggested. Is more than one member making the same point.
Ask yourself could they be right?
