Welcome to my writers blog.

Writing to entertain and encourage other writers. To keep you informed of events, workshops, retreats and conferences available for writers.

The Love of Dance

Thursday 5 August 2010

How useful are writing circles?


That would depend on how good the circle is. So how can you find out?
The best circles will probably have been established for a long while, but this isn’t always the case. I’ve visited some very good ‘New’ circles who have been constructive and forward thinking, but equally, I’ve found some ‘Pat on the Back’ groups – If you are serious about your writing avoid these with a passion.
What attributes should you look for in a good circle?
Established members – new and fledgling members, published authors, active journalists an odd agent or two would be an added bonus. Also invited speakers, manuscript evenings, workshops, good critiquing (constructive criticism, praise where it is needed and guidance on how to move forward), regular meetings with manuscript surgeries.
So what makes an exceptional group?
All of the above plus:  an active online network and forum, run their own conference and links with agents, publishers and editors.
Exceptional groups like this are rare. I’m lucky to belong to one - The Verulam Writers’ Circle. They have been established for over 50 years and have many published authors - fiction and non-fiction. Members can enjoy their online services, which includes online critiquing, information on forthcoming events and much, much more.  They run their own ‘Get Writing’ conferences and weekly meetings which are always inspirational and informative.
The next ‘Get Writing’ conference will be announced soon, I’ll post details when I receive them.
So keep your eyes open for a good writing circle, they really are worth their weight in gold.