Boroondara Writers Group

Tweet

Welcome to my interview with Caroline Carruthers from Boroondara Writers Group.

*****

Hello Caroline, can you please tell us a bit about your writing group?

Boroondara Writers Group, meet at Balwyn Library last Saturday of each month Feb-Nov, 1.30-4.30pm. The group is about 17-18 years old. Saturday is open to all comers, we also have a Wednesday meeting once a month with restricted membership so that we can work on longer pieces and/or in more depth.

How many members, on average, does your group have?

Average attendance is about 12-15 on Saturdays, and 4-6 on Wednesdays.

Who are you and what is your role within the group?

I'm the coordinator, which means I do everything to keep the group running, organise meeting rooms, write monthly newsletter, manage finances, project manage anthology production every 2 years, catering.

How are your sessions structured?

We guarantee that every attendee will have their work workshopped, so we ask for only 1000 words max at a time. On arrival members put copies of their piece on table in order of arrival. We workshop pieces in order of arrival. Copies are distributed and then the author reads their piece aloud. Members write comments on the written copies and then I invite some members to comment aloud, preferably with 1 example of what is working and 1 example of what could be improved. Copies are returned to the author so that s/he can review the comments and see if they are useful.

We have a refreshment break midway through.

What types of things do you cover in your group?

Anything that occurs to the workshop members. I try to keep the focus on the writing and discourage critiques of spelling and punctuation or discussions of what people are reminded of by the piece. What is the author trying to achieve and how successful is s/he?

What have been some of your most popular/successful activities?

We have run reading events in association with family history week.

We run skills development workshops.

Book launches.

What genres do the members of your group write?  Is there a lot of diversity with regards to your members’ writing?

We have no restrictions on genre. The group started as a family history writing group but now we have poetry, memoir, non-fiction, historical novels, essays, humour, fantasy, travel, anything.

Have you ever written collectively as a group, such as producing an anthology?

We produce an anthology every 2 years for members who wish to be included.

What kind of support does your writing group provide for its writers?

Mutual help, support and skills development. We are a self-help group receiving no funding other than our miniscule attendance fee. We provide friendship with like minded people, experienced advice – our members range from beginners to published writers, individual members help one another as requested outside of the group meetings.

Where do you get your ideas/writing prompts for the group from?

I’m not sure what you mean. I offer a suggested topic in the monthly newsletter for members lacking inspiration which comes out of the ether into my head when needed. I sometimes google things to help me out.

What is the best piece of writing advice you’ve been given?

Stop prevaricating and write.

What is the best piece of writing advice you give?

Read your work aloud you’ll see what isn’t working immediately.

Does your writing group have a website/blog/twitter/facebook?

We have an old website that hasn’t been updated since our webmaster left and I can’t access the site now.

Do you have guest speakers at your group?  

The previous coordinator did this but we have no money for speakers and so those who came usually had something to ‘sell’. This is not necessarily bad but it’s not a path I’ve taken.

They were locally based authors speaking about their experiences.

Do members of the group get a chance to run/lead a session or part of a session?

They certainly could if they wanted to. Currently this happens occasionally when I cannot attend.

How would someone go about joining your writing group?

People usually phone or email me having found us on the web, by word of mouth or through the Victorian Writers’ Centre. I send them information and put them on the newsletter list, then they turn up whenever suits them. We have never needed to close our membership as people usually don’t need to come every month for a critique although I do encourage people to attend to share the benefit of their opinions as well as to workshop their own work.

boroondarawritersgroup@gmail.com

Thank you very much Caroline. 

Kensington and Norwood Writers Group

Tweet

Welcome to my interview with Nike Azoros, from The Kensington and Norwood Writers Group.

*****

Hello Nike, can you please tell us a bit about your writing group? 

I belong to The Kensington and Norwood Writers Group. Our meetings are twice monthly at the Norwood Town Hall at 7pm. We have been established since 1978.

How many members, on average, does your group have?

We have around 25 members.

Who are you and what is your role within the group?

I am the Co-president and play a role in general organisation, chairing meetings, producing and marketing our annual journal and generally representing the group in the community.

How are your sessions structured?

We have a semi formal structure in that we have a secretary who takes minutes, we discuss member successes in the community. We have readings and offer feedback and we have workshops.

What types of things do you cover in your group?

A wide variety of subjects on writing ranging from Character development, Poetry, Grammar, Openings of stories, free writing etc.

What have been some of your most popular/successful activities?

Our events are always well frequented because they are known for their entertaining content and our annual journal sells well.

What genres do the members of your group write?  Is there a lot of diversity with regards to your members’ writing?

Yes we are a diverse group, we have poets, non fiction writers, fiction writers, article writers –all sorts.

Have you ever written collectively as a group, such as producing an anthology?

Yes we do this at least annually sometimes twice annually.

What kind of support does your writing group provide for its writers?

Our webmaster passes on all news form national and international writers resources, we provide workshops and support to each other.

Where do you get your ideas/writing prompts for the group from?

From regular meetings where we brainstorm ideas, from each other and from external influences.

What is the best piece of writing advice you’ve been given?

Just write.

What is the best piece of writing advice you give?

Just write.

Where can we find your group on the internet?

www.norwoodwriters.com

Do you have guest speakers at your group?   

Yes we often have guest poets, novelists or presenters and we will look to have more. 

Do members of the group get a chance to run/lead a session or part of a session?

Yes we often have a rotating chair and we always invite members to offer to run a workshop.

How would someone go about joining your writing group?

Either to contact us through our website, www.norwoodwriters.com or call us, the number is on the website and just come along and watch for a session or two.

Thank you Nike. 

Novelists' Circle

Tweet

Welcome to my interview with Sandra O'Grady from Novelists' Circle.

*****

Hello Sandra.  Can you please tell us a bit about your writing group?

Hi, I’m Sandra, the founder of the Novelist’s Circle. I started the group in 2010 to bring like-minded people together in a nurturing environment. 

I previously attended several other writing groups and enjoyed them all, but their members wrote short stories and poetry, not novels. Writing a long piece comes with its own challenges and interacting with other on the same journey is invaluable. 

We meet at 6.30 pm on the second Monday of each month at The Box Factory, 59 Regent St South, Adelaide, South Australia. Members pay a casual rate of AUD $3 per meeting. 

We are a friendly bunch who aim to provide a non-threatening environment and to cater for people who haven’t put pen to paper yet through to those that have a saleable manuscript. Quarterly we meet for a casual dinner, because there are just never enough hours to chat about our passion: writing!

How many members, on average, does your group have?

There are currently a dozen members, writing in a variety of genres and at different skill levels. Each person brings unique and interesting life experiences to the group, which allows sharing from a bank of information and expertise.

How are your sessions structured?

During our sessions, we discuss whatever members need help with, share helpful tips and industry news. Sometimes I bring along a handout with information to help improve our literary techniques. The majority of our time is taken critiquing a few pages of each member’s work-in-progress, which was emailed a week or two prior. 

This kind of open appraisal by a variety of people is invaluable. Not only does it help highlight areas where everyone is confused by the story, or finds a character unbelievable, but also emphasizes differences of opinion. The latter is a vital part of learning to assess feedback, take on board what you feel is valuable, and put aside what you feel isn’t in keeping with your story/voice. The variety of writers in the Novelist’s Circle provides diverse viewpoints to draw on. 

What genres do the members of your group write?

At present all members write fiction, but the genres are diverse, including speculative, sci-fi, fantasy, anthropomorphic, chick-lit, romantic suspense, romantic comedy, erotic romance, women’s fiction and anything else that takes our fancy. Many of us also occasionally write short stories and poetry, although we don’t focus on this in the group.

Do members of the group get a chance to run/lead a session or part of a session?

Although I chair the session—aka keep the conversation moving along—everyone participates equally and we are flexible enough to spend extra time on a topic that interests members. 

What kind of support does your writing group provide for its writers?

We support one another by sharing information and ideas in a respectful and honest way. Comments are offered as suggestions, not expectations. We keep in mind that each member has his/her own style. 

In addition to the meetings, we also communicate via email if:

• We have a juicy piece of industry information, e.g. publishers accepting unsolicited manuscripts;
• We heard about a good writing course;
• We have a problem we need to solve, e.g. plot, character;
• We need cheering up because editing has blurred our vision, or we received another rejection; but most importantly
• We squeal with delight when a member has a win, no matter how small, e.g. finished a manuscript or edits, or how grandiose, e.g. signed a publishing contract! 

What is the best piece of writing advice you've been given?

Treat your writing like a business. Act professionally, learn the skills of the trade well and market yourself.

What is the best piece of writing advice you give?

Never, NEVER give up. I truly believe persistence a key element to success in this industry. 

Does your writing group have a website/blog/Twitter/Facebook?

www.novelistscircle.weebly.com 

How would someone go about joining your writing group?

Easy, just complete the ‘contact form’ on our website and provide your email address (preferably) or a phone number. 

Thank you very much Sandra.