I'd like to welcome you to my interview with Mike Wilson from Free Spirit Writers.
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Hello Mike. Can you tell us a bit about your writing group?
My wife, Daine, and I are Free Spirit Writers. Just the two of us. That's because we want to be acknowledged as a group for the National Association of Writers' Groups and not as individual writers. We have, in the past, been members of other local writing groups, but we are not active with them. I was asked to leave one of them for being a disturbing influence! Our individual writing was also being published and performed, and we were wishing to "do our own thing".
How are your sessions structured?
We don't have structured sessions, helping each other with our relevant strengths. Diane is the poet and 'free spirit' and I am more concerned with the accuracy of the writing, the punctuation, the grammar, etc. That is, I'm pedantic.
As am I. Now, where is my red pen!? What types of things do you cover in your group?
Diane is the poet, I write articles which have been published in local and regional interest magazines. I run our website - which is, I admit, mostly my work. I have had a novel published by a small, private publisher - not vanity publishing. I have published a 12-page A3 spoof local newspaper, packed with humorous pieces and photographs (thank goodness for Photoshop).
What have been some of your most popular successful activities?
We have written and performed in four pantomimes, four murder/mystery evenings and had an April Fool's Day spoof broadcast. Diane has won top prizes in national poetry competitions with Writing Magazine and Writers' Forum. I have self-published ten local history books and am working on finalising the next in the series. I have had letters published in national newspapers.
Have you ever written collectively as a group (or indeed as a duo), such as producing an anthology?
We have compiled anthologies for the National Association of Writers' Groups competitions but have not been successful.
What is the best piece of writing advice you've been given?
Don't write what you want to write, write what someone wants to read.
What is the best piece of writing advice you give?
Don't write what you want to write, write what someone wants to read.
Does your writing group have a website/blog/Twitter/Facebook?
Our website is www.freespiritwriters.me.uk where you can read much of our work.
How would someone go about joining your group?
We do not wish to have additional members.
Thank you, Mike.
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