Comments on: Writing Tip of the Day: Join a Writing Group

By: Choosing the “Write” Group | Fuel Your Writing

Choosing the “Write” Group | Fuel Your Writing — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:05:54 +0000

[...] Image Credit Rachel Fachner is a writer, choreographer, and theatre director living, at the moment, in Australia. In the literary world she has worked for Jill Grinberg Literary Management and Tin House Books in addition to being a freelance editor. She runs project: transparence and builds work for Collective Dance NY. [...]

By: Clark

Clark — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 00:28:57 +0000

I joined a few online writing groups and had mixed success. Finally, some friends and I decided to start our own site for facilitating online writing groups. We haven’t finished everything we’d like to do yet, but we’ve been getting some pretty good feedback from early users. The site is Review Fuse (www.reviewfuse.com/).

If you try it out, be sure to let us know what you think and how we can make it better.

By: Rupa

Rupa — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:57:50 +0000

Hi Terreece,
Off topic – but I wanted to return to the query challenge. (Yes, I am working on it!)
I have spent some time studying query letter tips and sample queries online. I have never done this before and want to learn to do it right.
I have a few questions –
1. Is it ok to introduce a slightly casual tone in an otherwise formal query letter or is it a strict No! ? For example, I want to open one query with a short line like ” ‘A’ minus ‘B’ = C.” And then I go on to describe what this C is. I have included all the parts of the query (hook, pitch etc) to my knoweldge…but I keep wondering if I shd eliminate the first line.
2. Is it absolutely necessary to mention in the query some of the names of the people I will be talking to and the quotes I will be using in the article? I guess names and quotes do add some personality and interest and convince the editor that I actually am capable of doing the research…But currently I don’t have the sources or quotes, although I will be getting them before starting the article (If I get chosen to write!) So, is it ok to leave that part out in the query or should I first work on the sources and quotes?

Thanks so much for motivating me to do this. And thanks you for all the great tips!

By: Jewel/Pink Ink

Jewel/Pink Ink — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:17:01 +0000

Funny cartoon!

If it were to lean one way or another, I’d rather have a lemming-type group than a hater-type. At least it keeps me writing:-)

Though I’d definitely think a balance is good.

I like Kathryn’s idea. I hope I can find one like hers, for novelists.

By: Kathryn

Kathryn — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 11:33:20 +0000

One of my goals for the New Year is to start a writer’s group in my area – I just need a catchy name. We had one a few years back, but there were only a couple of us actually interested in freelancing. The others just wanted to bring in things they had written for people to read (and not to critique either). This group will be for writers who are looking to get published, have experience with being published or who are making writing a full time career.

By: --Deb

--Deb — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 04:31:15 +0000

That cartoon is hilarious…

And, no, I haven’t joined a writers group, mostly because I don’t know where to find one! (Does Twitter count??)

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 04:23:57 +0000

I recently joined a writing group. The feedback I received is interesting because everyone has their opinion and they are at different “writing” levels. I’ll see how it goes…

By: Phil

Phil — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 21:32:45 +0000

Depends on the level of the writers….I was in a writers group once, and most others were “hobbyists,” while I was (and still do) support my family on my income. So I found it a waste of time.

I do like this community because I think it offers a level of professionalism that I didn’t find in a physical group.