The Tower Poetry Society

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Welcome to my interview with Ed Woods, from The Tower Poetry Society.

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

Our group is named The Tower Poetry Society and is the oldest established writers group in Canada and the second oldest in North America. While our 61^st year as a writers group may pale to international standards where countries have thousands of years of history this is quite an achievement. We have chosen the Westdale Library, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, to meet on the second Saturday of each month from September to May as our fiscal year and the workshops run for two hours, 14:00-16:00.

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

We have 60 members this year which is a high number compared to others years. In order to join any of our venues a person does not have to be a member and is open to the public.

What is your role within the group?

I am involved as the Circulation Manger for our group and keep track of subscriptions and mailing services.

How are your sessions structured?

Our workshops offer the public to bring a selection of their creative writing of poetry or prose and read it aloud and then people in attendance offer positive comments of how this was interpreted or could be better presented. After comments the writer can explain the poem and its inspiration or source. This is a positive environment with writers from all walks of life and backgrounds.

What types of things do you cover in your group?

We cover styles of writing and nurture people to become interested in creative writing and submit poetry for publishing.

Do you have guest speakers at your group?  If yes, who have you had and what have they spoken about?  If no, why not, and is it something you would consider in the future?

We have a yearly Poet Study or a gust speaker upon a particular style of writing and our guests are listed within our website.

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

Yes as we periodically hold a discussion or poetry feature after a workshop.

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

Workshops open to the public, publishing a book twice per year which contains submissions from worldwide writers. There a yearly Poet Study to give insight to a style or particular writer. We attend book fairs and venues to sell our books of poetry and offer subscriptions and membership should a person so desire while at the same time to spread the word of interest in creative writing.

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

There is a definite diversity of writing styles and it is based upon the skills and experience of those who choose to attend a workshop or submit poetry for publication in our books. Since we have no formal criteria of attendance or membership we have the privilege of quite a diverse base of interest and skills from a novice to those with Masters Degree in Literature. Our group consists of professors, teachers, theatre directors, transport truck drivers, pilots, sales staff, social service staff, emergency workers, homemakers, and the list is endless of those who submit their poetry for publication. 

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

We have two anthologies produced from members writing to celebrate our 50^th and then 60^th anniversary. The poems were selected from new and published writing for the 50^th edition and then for our 60^th anniversary edition poems were chosen from those in our books from the last ten years in between.

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

We are a non-profit charity and do not have funds to support our writers but offer workshop venues and studies to help improve or better understand creative writing.

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

We collectively offer suggestions of a topic for discussion after the workshop and through Poetry Readings we take the public feedback to heart and see if there is a new or different style of creative writing to promote.

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

To shorten my line structure to better focus upon points of interest or the point I am trying to convey.

What is the best piece of writing advice you give?

To write from your heart as you would speak and not try to become a Shakespeare or other famous writer copycat as it will show through. The second point in this mix is to not worry about rejection of submissions to any magazine or venue as this will consume a writer with a negative outlook about their style or content. Be natural and hold to your style and let the words flow onto a page.

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

www.towerpoetry.ca

How would someone go about joining your writing group?

The best information is contained in our website display where we offer membership, subscriptions, and the address to send poetry submissions or purchase single copies of our editions. All of our programs and venues are completely open to the public and free of any charge and do not depend upon whether a person has taken out a subscription or membership. 

Thank you very much Ed. 

Shuswap Writers' Group

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Welcome to my interview with Shirley DeKelver, from Shuswap Writers' Group.

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

The Shuswap Writers’ Group was formed in 1988. Our meetings are held the first and third Wednesday of each month (excluding the summer months of June, July and August), at 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (subject to change) in the meeting room at Piccadilly Mall. We host a public Writers Coffee House every fourth Friday of the month.

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

Our current membership is 22 paid-up members and 6 drop-in members. 

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

My name is Shirley DeKelver, and I am the President of SWG. 

How are your sessions structured?

We usually spend half an hour going over group business and the remainder of the time is spent reading and doing quick writes.

What types of things do you cover in your group?

We have our members read their homework assignments, which consist of fiction and non-fiction short stories, and poetry, or they may read from writings or novels they are working on.  If a critique is requested, we will provide input.  If time allows, we have a quick write exercise, and sometimes we talk about other issues, such as copy rights, writers block, etc.  We also discuss books that our members recommend.

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

We have sponsored literary writing contests and other public events, such as workshops, entertainment evenings, plays, and the Old Window Project with the Art Gallery. Each year we hold a Special Coffee House, which we hold in conjunction with the Shuswap Association of Writers. The coffee house launches their three day writer’s festival, Word on the Lake.  The presenters at the coffee house are published writers, editors, publishers, etc. who are guests at our Festival, as well as local talent.  We usually have an attendance of around 100 people. 

What genres do the members of your group write?

We have a large diversification of writers in our group.  Some write memoirs, short stories and articles, magazine articles, non-fiction novels (autobiographies, First Nations, travel) and fiction novels (historical, fantasy and science fiction (children and young adult), romance, and script writing.

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

Over the years SWG has published five anthology books.  They are called “Kaleidoscope” and numbered accordingly. We also published a collection of stories about the 1998 Salmon Arm fire called “Out of the Ashes”. Kaleidoscope V was released in April. 2012.  The cover photo for this collection was taken by me, and the group photo was taken David Docherty, who is one of our members.

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

Many of our writers have backgrounds in various areas, legal, editing, teaching (English teachers), reporting, script writing, graphic designers, and we often draw on their expertise and knowledge in those areas. As well, we attend coffee houses and book launches where our members will be reading or releasing a novel. I receive numerous email about upcoming events as well as writing contests, and newsletters from other writing organizations, which I pass on to the members.

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

I look up ideas on the Internet, or I often ask the members to provide them. I spend a lot of time trying to find interesting ideas that will appeal to the majority of the members.

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

Write, write, and then write some more.

What is the best piece of writing advice you give?

No matter what you are writing, be it a novel or your homework assignment, always produce your best work, even if you have to edit it twenty times.   

Do you have guest speakers at your writing group?

We have had a number of speakers. We had one guest give an elocution seminar. At that time she was working for CBC, and worked many years as a radio announcer.  We also had two guests who talked about our community radio, which is presently in the process of being installed.  Another guest we had was a retired bookbinder. We have also had workshops on MS Word. 

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

I have asked, but so far no takers. Should I be absent, our elected Vice-President would fill the role.

Does your writing group have a website?

www.shuswapwritersgroup.weebly.com 

How would someone go about joining your group?

I advertise in the local newspapers twice a month advising when our meetings will be held, and to contact me if they are interested. We also hand out pamphlets at writers’ festivals, readings, book sales, etc. People often go to our website, and send an email to our webmail address.  As well, referrals form a large part of our current membership.

Thank you very much Shirley.

North Shore Writers' Association

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Welcome to my interview with Sonia Haynes, from North Shore Writers' Association.

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

Our group is the North Shore Writers' Association. It is held at the Edgemont Library in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. We have two meetings per month. Our general meeting, which is held every third Monday evening of the month.  And our literary café, Dare To Be Heard is held on the first Wednesday evening each month, except December, July and August. The North Shore Writers' Association is a registered non-profit association of writers dedicated to nourishing the literary community of the North Shore through the teaching and sharing of skills. We hold monthly meetings where we listen to speakers, participate in workshops, and conduct readings, all with the aim of increasing our knowledge about the world of writing.

That sounds amazing.  How many members, on average, does your group have?

We have, to date, fifty members. 

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

I am newly appointed in president. My role is to chair the meetings, make decisions regarding important issues. I am also coordinator of our season’s end dinner get together, and website designer.

How are your sessions structured?

At the General Meetings – the meeting is called to order. Anyone who has business to share does so, if there is an issue that requires approval by the members, ie: anything dealing with the spending of money, it is addressed, discussed and put up to a vote. If it is approved, someone seconds it. 

What types of things do you cover in your group?

Writing contests, festivals, speaker choice.

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

Last years North Shore Writer’s Festival was a terrific success. We had our members on panel who answered questions from the public about the process of getting a book published.

That sounds extremely useful; I wish I could have been there.  What genres do the members of your group write?

We have poetry writers, fiction and non-fiction writers, some of our members write for magazines and personal development market. 

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

Yes we have several anthologies. Some of the works from the contests are included from our annual writers' contest. 

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

Speakers with various expertise come our meeting, publishers, editors, writers who have published traditionally and independently, through hard cover and e-book formats. 

Can you tell us some of the speakers you've had at your group?

Bernice Lever an award-winning poet has presented to our group over the years. She spoke about the process of poetry writing. Just lately, Martin Crosbie, writer of My Temporary Life. Martin found success as an e-book publisher on Amazon.com. He spoke about navigating the world of e-publishing and Amazon.com. 

Where do you get your ideas/writing prompts from?

For me personally, I have a voice in my head that dictates. I am also influenced by the world around me. 

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

Just write. Don’t keep the muse hidden. 

What is the best piece of writing advice you give?

Your story is valid and there is no one like you with your kind of story.

That's a brilliant piece of advice; I may need to steal that for myself!  Do members of the group get a chance to run/lead sessions or a part of a session?

Our organization is a volunteer based. We would not function without the participation of our members. We have ‘Dare To Be Heard’. Our Literary Café run by one member, our members at large who do our promotions, put out flyers and our newsletters, contact potential guests and present them at our meetings.  

I bet that creates a great sense of community.  You mentioned earlier that you're the website designer.  What is your website address?

www.nswriters.org. The website is in the process of being updated. 

How would someone go about joining your writing group?

Potential members can email Gerhard Winkler who is our treasurer he processes the membership fee and gives out receipts. They may join at our meetings as well as any special events we have going. We have a membership form which will be put on to our new website when it is updated.

Thank you very much, Sonia.