What the world needs now – more writers!

Caution: if you suffer from excessive political sensibilities, this post may prove hazardous to your emotional health. Just stop reading. Now.

Right now.

I mean it.

Oh, you’re still here? Well, then, don’t blame me if the following makes you cry.

Did anyone else realize – after the shock of the January 6 events wore off slightly – that what the world needs now is more people with imaginations? And not just more people, but more groups, militias, armies of people with rampant imaginations and the fortitude to put their imaginings into practice? Well, I’m about to reveal a secret that those who merely rampage in funny furry hats don’t want you to hear: we exist. We, that is, the people who know Neanderthals currently walk the Earth. That living beings can travel through portals to the past, the future, and other dimensions. That monsters are real. That justice will triumph. And of course, that happy-ever-after true love still exists. (Yeah, if you believe that last one, you’ll believe anything!)

I found out about them from attending (shhh, don’t tell) writing groups. Obviously, we have to cloak our knowledge by calling it fiction in order to keep them, the overlords, the ruling cabals, from trying to silence us. We’re writers, and we meet regularly to discuss our plans to overthrow well, just about everything. Find us. We dare you.

And if you dare, if you’re one of the brave, the chosen, the many, who are willing to put your own sweat, keyboard, and emotional strength to the test, here are some clues to follow. Catch us if you can, but for now I’m only listing groups meeting online in my home ground of North Texas.

DFW Writers Workshop – Currently, the workshop meets online every Wednesday from 7 p.m. to approximately 9 p.m., holiday or not. Participation in critiques is limited to members (annual dues $100). Visitors may listen but not comment or read their own work. Want more talk about writing? Keep tuned into the Zoom chat following the end of the critique sessions. DFWW also hosts an annual conference, currently scheduled for October .

Dallas Writer’s Garret – I got a first taste of creative writing at this group with its cozy atmosphere and no-pain critique groups in both prose and poetry. The Garret’s free critique “Stone Soup” groups are currently meeting online. These include a prose workshop first and third Sundays from 2-4 p.m. led by Diane Parker, a mixed genre workshop first and third Tuesdays from 7-8:30 p.m. led by Duana Cockrell, and a prose and poetry workgroup second and fourth Saturdays from 10 a.m. – noon led by Mark Noble. See the site for each leader’s contact information and group guidelines. 

Writers’Guild of Texas – This group’s critique group meets online the third Wednesday of each month from 7-9 p.m. Participation is limited to members (annual dues $35). See the site for additional information.

Dallas Mystery Writers – Although this is the Dallas chapter of the Mystery Writers of America, membership in the national MWA is not required. Meetings on the first Saturday of each month (except January) include discussions by writers in the mystery/thriller/suspense genres, craft discussions, and critiques.  For information, see the site for details.

Sisters in Crime, North Dallas – This group kicks off 2021 virtually this coming Sunday, January 24, from 2:30-4 p.m. Annual membership ($25) is available to all members of the national Sisters in Crime, regardless of gender. Members may bring 1-2 pages of their work in progress to read. RSVP by noon January 24.

Many local groups are still scrambling to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, but for more options, check WORD (Writing Organizations ‘Round Dallas) for those with online availability.

***

There is one major difference between writing groups and other revolutionaries: not everything can be said. At least not without devolution of the entire group and possible bloodletting. There may be a million ways to give and take criticism successfully in a writing group, but the best ones I’ve seen are to start and end with something positive about the fellow writer’s work. In between, mention what needs to be fixed.

“Fixables” include such items as continuity errors, factual errors, and plot holes. Also, word choice errors that confuse the author’s intent—as when the writer said a character was bemused when she meant amused. And anything that’s confusing or unclear, characters who lack depth, and lazy prose. Fixables, however, do not include changes to the writer’s style or genre choice.

For in-person (or online discussions), most likely each writer will be given a limited amount of time for reading, followed by specific, limited time for critiques from other group members. In general, a group will need a moderator. Only one member at a time should speak. Some groups allow the writer time to ask/answer questions or request clarification after each critique. Others (most) only allow the writer being critiqued to speak after all critique members have spoken. Time will be limited, so the writer should not waste theirs in arguing. And neither those giving or receiving the critique should act as if the rules apply to everybody but them.

The moderator should never allow more than one person to speak at a time or allow separate conversations. Writing isn’t easy and neither is receiving criticism. It’s even harder if you have trouble hearing each other – and sound quality at Zoom or other online formats doesn’t make hearing any easier.

Some groups I’ve attended also allowed/required writers to present copies of their work either ahead of time or alongside their oral readings. Other critique groups offer only written critiques. In this case, follow the same rules for offering in-person critiques as far as finding both positives and areas for improvement.