After years of whining, I've done it! I've got a writing group! Yay!
It's been years in the making. I came out of the Faber Academy hoping that I'd get a writing group out of that, but what can I say - COVID - messed up everything.
Then last year, I approached a couple of friends hoping to get a writing group going, but then Darwin happened.
I know - excuses, excuses.
It took another try, after the Darwin contract was over, to get this happening.
Attending a friend's book launch and knowing that she was in a writing group with an acquaintance - a brilliant writer in her own right, that got me on track again.
Then, I ran into a mutual friend, somebody I know from the retreat. I mentioned that I was wanting to get a group going - for accountability, fellowship, to bounce ideas against... and probably to whine about my cat. She was open to it, especially as some of her works were getting published.
The friends that were contacted late last year got a message. A date was set. Then somebody else joined us. The new recruit was found at a writer's festival by one of the others.
Five is a good number. We could do with one more - but that is about it.
The date was set. The First Monday of the month. Timing is paramount as there are kids and animals and commutes home to work into things. We agreed on 8.30 p.m. AEST, 8.00 p.m. ACST (Adelaide time) and 5.30 p.m. AWST (Perth time)
Thankfully, we meet on Zoom.
And we're an unlikely group. An IT project manager, a lawyer, a doctor, a book editor and me.
Four of us have started projects. Interesting, engaging projects.
We've set down some rules. You don't have to share, but if you want to, keep it to under 3000 words for a thematic or structure review. (e.g. If you're sending work out, you give an idea of what you want to review - for me, I asked to have a look and see what they thought of the structure.). If you want a close edit - maximum 1000 words.)
But really, we're here for support and fellowship. Writing can be such an isolating activity, it's good to know that there are others out there who can be in the trench with you.
I'm feeling hopeful that the group which we've given the name the Happy Mondays, how much mischief can we, as a group of middle-aged women writers, get into?
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