Finally, a Writer's Group!

I went to my first writer’s group meeting on Saturday and I am so excited I can’t wait until the meeting next month.  The group meets once a month at a restaurant in GR and they bring a speaker that either talks about the industry, the craft, or a topic that can help writers in their research.  This month it was a presentation by Rick from Silver Bullet Firearms, to help people with all those pesky questions like:

-          What does semi-automatic mean?

-          What’s the difference between a clip and a magazine?

-          Where does someone go to find the “Black Market?”  (For the record, Rick didn’t know the answer to this, but it’s a  good question nonetheless.)

It was a great presentation and while it doesn’t pertain to my current project, I picked up enough details to at least have an idea on basics should I need them in the future.  I think I know the right questions to ask now, anyway.

The group – Grand Rapids Region Writers Group – is a diverse mix of people.  There are a number of genres represented and writers in every stage imaginable.  Meeting new people is not something I’m very comfortable with, so I can’t say I ‘met’ everyone there, but I did get to talk to a couple of people that were sitting near me and they were incredibly nice.  It’s really just comforting to know that there are people out there like me, people who think in stories and constantly have ideas running through their heads.  People that have day jobs but still find time to write, and make it a priority for themselves.  And, it was comforting to find a group of people like this in GR, not in New York or some other big city. 

They have a mentor program once you become a member, they can help you match you up with another member to give you advice and critiques on your work.  I’m not sure if I’m ready for that stage yet, but I like knowing the option is there. 

All in all I think this is going to be great for me.  Usually when people know I write or ask me about it, I feel like a phony…a poser.  I’m not a ‘real’ writer, I couldn’t possibly be, I’m just some delusional person who thinks in plot lines and character descriptions; the stories in my head are usually much more interesting than what is going on around me.  But this group will ask about my writing and understand where I’m coming from.  We may not have the same motivations or processes or backgrounds, but we all want to get to the same place.  We want to be Writers.