Hello everyone !

I have never joined a writers' group of any type before. I hope the earth does move in the next few days at Writewords!

I have just completed the first draft of my first novel. Now comes the more challenging part of the rewrite. I'm finding it a real struggle as I keep finding ways to procrastrinate. I'm sure this is an alien feeling to most of you!! My real problem is that I don't know any other novelists, established or the tyros. Joining an online community such as this is a start. But would you advice me to join a real Writers' Group in the 'real' world? Would you recommend any? I live in North London. I feel this loneliness is crushing. I'm fine with solitude but now I do want to meet people and have face to face shop talks about the novel writing craft.

I would love to hear from others about their experiences of writers' groups.

I thank you in advance for your help and advice.
'Cruise'

Hello, Cruise, and welcome to WriteWords!

I'm pretty new myself, but I've already found this to be all the writers' group I need - plus the advantage of having other people to give feedback on one's work. However,I know it's merely another way to stare at a computer (arrgh!) and you may actually want to meet those things called real people. You could try www.writers-circles.com but I see they've nothing listed in London at the moment. Are there any listed in the new Writers & Artists' Yearbook?

I'm sorry, I'm useless, I don't even have any experience of such groups to offer you. I just didn't want you to be kept waiting for a reply! Hopefully better answers will be on their way soon.

Welcome anyway!

Louise

Hi, Cruise, and welcome to WriteWords


I'm afraid I don't know about writers groups located in North London, but I have joined a local one down here in the sticks, and am feeling the benefits of it - it's a small group and they are very encourging and it's good to simply get out of the house for a few hours to chat about writing, rather than bending the ear of a disinterested family.

If you need any help navigating the WW site then feel free to ask.


- NaomiM

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If yuo can't fine one that is already up and running, you could set up your own by placing a poster/leaflets in your local libraries, and supermarket notice boards, along with a contact number, to see if there are any other like minded individuals.

WOW WOW WOW !!

I am so touched by this swift response. Louise and NaomiM, both of you are a real credit to this website. I never joined a writers' group of any kind because I felt I would just use it to procrastrinate when I should be writing. But after these instant responses, I forglimplse the excellent value of having some contact with fellow writers.

Louise, thanks for your info. I'll check them out. Isn't it strange that London, arguably the most important literary city in the world, has so few writers' groups. If someone knows of a good one, please let me know. I'm thinking of going to the Harrow Writers' Circle this Thursday. I'll let you know if it shows the potential to be useful.

Louise, thanks again for helping me to lose my virginity on Wrtiewords!! You are the first one to respond to me. I'll never forget you !!

Hi NaomiM,

As I said in the other post, I am so touched by the quick response and the offer to help me navigate through this website. I might need it later in the week.

And thanks for the suggestion to start up my own writers' group. That's certainly a good option.

Once again, thank you so much. I thought I might have to wait weeks for a response!!

Hello Cruise

You could try ringing your local library to check if they have a writing group going.

I found my local writing group by checking out the library website - however, I live up north.

Welcome to WW and good luck with your re-write.

Bev

Hi Cruise, and welcome to WriteWords.

There is a National Association of Writers Groups, which might have something up your way. And Mslexia has listings in the back. Some groups are very hard-core workshopping, which may or may not be what you want (and even if you do want it, the group may not suit you - it's a very personal thing - which is neither their fault nor yours). But some, as you say, are as much about general socialising and shop-talk and support. Others again have two faces, and two kinds of meetings, to cover the two different needs.

Best of luck with it - and I would say that you might be suprised how much WW and their like can come to feel like 'real' socialising.

Emma

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You might find your local bookshop knows about the local groups, too.

Hi Cruise -
Hello, and firstly huge congratulations on finishing the first draft of your novel! Wow!

I keep finding ways to procrastrinate. I'm sure this is an alien feeling to most of you!!

Ahahahahaha! 'Alien'? I don't think so!!! Join the gang! I still haven't started writing and it's 10.40 already... how did that happen?! I completely relate to your comment that you're fine with solitude but the loneliness is crushing. How brilliantly put! I find I need the isolation to write, but if I get too much of it I go a little, er, well - mad. Plus, the more time I have alone, the more I procrastinate. It seems a fine line to get the balance right, and for me writing groups have been a great way of doing that. As the others have said, your library and local bookshop are usually the places - mine have their sessions at the library.
Writewords really works too... We are not alone! There are writers losing their minds everywhere! (But beware the trap of using it as another way to procrastinate when you should be editing! Guilty as charged
It's good to meet you!
Good luck with your edits,
Love Jane x

I keep finding ways to procrastrinate. I'm sure this is an alien feeling to most of you!!

Oh, yes, er, procrastination, no we don't have anything like that around here. **walks away, whistling innocently**

Sorry if someone has already said this, but wasn't there a thread a couple of weeks ago, in which someone was talking about starting a writers group in North London? Was it you Sarah?

Forgive me if I've invented this.

Hi Cruise, and welcome to WW. Wonderful news that you have a first draft, congratulations.

The physical groups I have joined have all come out of creative writing classes and courses. Is there anything like that in your area? Get to know the sort of people too before committing to a group.

As for procrastination - yes I caught that disease, well and truly, in fact most of my writing life. I have been writing now since at junior school, and am facing up to a fact, that as I am nearly 62, I don't have vast years left to get the books written. Also I have RSI and arthritis which makes writing often impossible. Believe me this is all an enormous incentive not to waste any more when I can, and plan when I can't.

Please, please just sit in front of that computer or with that notebook and say "I'm going to write/edit/brainstorm/plan NOW" and do it straight away without thinking about being tired/doing the housework/watering the car/shopping or digging for veg/thinking about work/thinking about what ought to be done....

All the very bestxxx

Hi Cruise and welcome.

There are some very good teachers at City Lit, based in Covent Garden. They charge, but you get the benefit of professional novelist tutors giving feedback and if you click with a handful of the other students could form a group yourselves. I've had brilliant feedback this way in the past. Fellow students can be very good critics - the standard there is strong, other students can be very focused and go on to be published.

Louise, thanks again for helping me to lose my virginity on Wrtiewords!!

Wow, I didn't quite realise what went on after midnight on WriteWords! Clearly I should stick around more.

Seriously though, everyone procrastinates - I'm doing it right now.

And I sympathise with your predicament. I'm at the final editing stage of my first novel and it's been an interesting, at times exhilarating and often frustrating experience.

When things are going well, it doesn't matter that I don't really have anyone around me to give feedback or bounce ideas off or talk about things like good dialogue and the problems of plotting (it's not that I'm a social reject, it's just that no-one else I know is a writer).

But when there's a tough little element of the novel to crack, or when you feel what you've done just doesn't hang together or you're wondering if you should jack the whole thing in and start on a different project, that's when I've felt isolated.

Is joining a writer's group the answer? Depends on the group I guess but you won't know if it's going to be a help or a hindrance until you try.

Hello, Cruise,

Well done for completing your first draft!

I belong to a professional writers' group and also a smaller workshop. I find them both invaluable and apart from anything it's great to sit and chat to other writers. Joining this online community is brilliant too.

I would warn against letting family or non-writer friends read your work. In my experience they really have no idea what works and what doesn't and tend to be overly kind with their criticism :-)You've come to a point now where you need other writers and this site is a great place to start. Best of luck with your rewriting.

Liz.

I've let freinds read some of my early stuff before now and.....I'm still waiting for them to get back to me.