Is a writing group for you?

Do you belong to a writing group or are you thinking about joining one? Have you considered the pros and cons of belonging to such a group and what type of group might best suit you?

There are various types of writing groups. Some are primarily social. Writing can be a lonely business and it’s good to meet occasionally with others who may have a similar thought process. Personally, I love meeting with other writers and am happy if we critique each others' writing or just talk about writing in general.

Some groups meet in person and some work online. Make sure that at least some people in your group write in the same genre as you. There are groups whose members read their works at the meeting and offer suggestions. If someone else reads the work, the author can listen for pauses or  indications that a portion of the writing may need to be changed. Others groups ask that pieces ready for critique be emailed ahead of time so there is time to read and think about the submitted writing.

Members often read and discuss short stories and poems at the meeting. Novels may be critiqued better online or printed, and critiqued chapter by chapter. Members should offer constructive criticism. A critique should be more than just one person’s opinion (I like this, I don’t like that) or grammatical corrections. It should consider character, setting plot, etc.

In most writers’ groups, members support from fellow writers, sharing information about contests and jobs, learning from each other and from occasional speakers, as well as critiquing each others' works.

If you already belong to a writing group, is your group thriving? A lack of attendance may indicate a problem.  Attendance may vary up and down but you should have you small core of regulars. Are members prepared? Some people seldom bring or send any writing, but enjoy reading the works of others and offering advice. However, writers should be writing.

If meetings are ending early or seem boring, it might help to vary the routine? Some groups propose writing topics or prompts to encourage members to try something new. Some even take time to write during the meeting.

Remember an important part of writer's group is the camaraderie. The group you choose should meet your needs and you should be able to fit into the group. Otherwise, you might want to look for another group

Unthink

Unthink, rediscover your creative genius, by erik wahl (writer, entrepreneur, speaker, graffiti artist) is a book for everyone.

Wahl’s life changed with the burst of the dot.com bubble and he began to examine his life and his artistic needs, questioning if anything was truly reliable. He began to paint and then to speak publicly challenging corporations to consider both “business intellect and artistic intuition, corporate sense and creative sensibility.”

Throughout the book, wahl (yes, he likes to use lowercase) gives examples of people who took time to think and made a difference in business, politics and art. Mystery, imagination and passion are key themes, as is the necessity to use both the left and right sides of our brains.

If we don’t know what is causing that itch or dissatisfaction in our life, we need to keep exploring. We need to rethink what we were taught about fitting in and just doing what is expected. Mystery makes everything more interesting and drives creativity.

While some people don’t change until forced to do so, “artists don’t wait to be rattled only from the outside. They provoke themselves first and then the people around them, in order to constantly imagine new possibilities.”

He gives examples of leaders such as Joan of Arc, Martin Luther King Jr., William Wilberforce, Mahatma Gandhi, writing that “all were artists of the highest form. Their brushes and paints were the words and actions that pointed to the better way and the higher standard.”

Just as writers are encouraged to raise the stakes, people in all fields should strive to find the spark of creativity. “Those who live in a constant state of creativity are the game changes,” he writes.

“Mystery is at the heart of creativity. That, and surprise, he quotes artist/writer Julia Cameron.

Todays successful artist, he stresses “is the one who knows when to embrace the childlike creativity of the right brain and when to embrace the logical strategy of the left brain.” Great progress never occurs through strategy alone.” 

He encourages everyone to remember their dreams and follow their passions. As writers, these ideas are even more important to us. We generally already have good imaginations and a passion to communicate, but if we let out internal editor interfere too much with what we are writing, we need to unthink. This book gives us much to think about.

Visiting Wojo's World

Recently Michele "Wojo" Wojciechowski spoke to members of the Maryland Writers’ Association Carroll County Chapter, briefly introducing us to “Wojo’s World,” “where life is always funny.”

The award-winning author, freelance writer, humorist, and stand-up comedian gave humorous slice of life examples as she encouraged the writers to add humor to their writing.

Write down the little things you encounter daily on whatever piece of paper you have, she said. Then put the notes in a file or envelope to use in the future, some type of humor file. Pay attention. Be aware of what is happening around you.

“Jot it down,” recommended Wojciechowski “even if you never use it.”

“What do you like?” she asked. “What do you like to read?” What makes one person laugh may not be what you think is funny.

Decide what type of humor appeals to you and that you can use in your writing.

Humor helps people relax and they pay more attention, she said. Comic relief can lighten a serious scene or a scary program, allowing the reader to get through it.

Thinking of some of the funny things that happened in th past, I remembered when I worked in Human Resources. Just like now, I made notes on whatever I had at hand, even using napkins at lunchtime. Around Christmas my assistant handed me a small gift. As I started to open it, she said, “It’s a new notepad.” I looked down at a bunch of napkins stabled together. That made my day and years later still brings a smile to my face.

I can think of other funny events at home, at work and on vacation. Perhaps some of my notes are fuel for an article or part of a story or just inspiration to get the juices flowing.

People remember humor and many can identify with it, she said. As for the writer, “it’s cheaper than therapy.”

One thing she loves about her job(s) “It’s great to make people laugh.”

Wojciechowski writes the humor column, Wojo's World. In addition, her writing has appeared in the LA Times Magazine, Family Circle, Boys' Life, Maryland Life, Baltimore magazine, and other publications.

She has also written and performed standup comedy at several of the annual Erma Bombeck Writers' and venues such as The Baltimore Comedy Factory, Ryan's Daughter in NYC, and E. M.P. Collective Theater.

This year Wojciechowski’s book, Next Time I Move, They'll Carry Me Out in a Box, won an Outstanding Book Award (Lifestyle/Memoir category), from the American Society of Journalists and Authors. She also was a 2012 first-place winner of the MACPA award for Original Writing-Personal Column for the column Wojo's World and a 2012 award winner from the Society for Technical Communication.

She is a member of SAG-AFTRA, (Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists), American Society of Journalists and Authors, and National Society of Newspaper Columnists and is a Contributing Editor to FreelanceSuccess.com.

Learn more about her out at www.wojosworld.com.

Write Small

I just finished reading Microstyle, The Art of Writing Little by Christopher Johnson.

Dividing the book into four sections:  Meaning,  Sound, Structure and Social Context, Johnson delivers examples of writing small in short chapters with titles such as “Paint a Picture,” Say the Wrong Thing,” Give It Rhythm,” Make the Sound Fit,” Break the Rules,” Coin a New Word,” and “Create a Microvoice.” 

“In This age of the Incredible Shrinking Message,” Johnson writes that “Messages of just a word, a phrase, or a short sentence or two……” require microstyle. I liked his statement in the introduction that “Microstyle is really about language at play – even when it’s used at work.”

The author knows what he is talking about. He has a PhD in linguistics from the University of California, Berkeley. More impressive to me is that he created and analyzed product and company names for more than a decade at Lexicon Branding, a top naming firm that developed the names Pentium, PowerBook, BlackBerry, Swiffer, Febreze and others. 

Sometimes the linguistic terms and explanations slowed me down, but the examples added spice to what otherwise could have been dull reading. He gave examples of how words, basically meaning the same thing, can result in a huge difference in the number of results in Google searches.

He explained why Apple turned out to be a good fit for a new computer company because of the associations it brought to mind. “Nothing is more familiar, more accessible, or less intimidating than an apple.” He also gives examples of names that missed.

“Effective micromessages often push our emotional buttons.”    Some appeal to our sense of self-worth: “You deserve a break today” (McDonald’s) “Because I’m Worth it” (L’Oreal).  Some try to inspire infectious enthusiasm “Leggo My Eggo,” “Nobody Better lay a finger on my Butterfinger” and “M’M! M’M! Good” (Campbell Soup).Some give a certain mystique: “Does she or doesn’t she?” (Clairol), “Who’s that behind those Foster Grants?” and some a generational rebellion “This is not your father’s Oldsmobile.”

Also micro messages can use our relationships: “When you care enough to send the very best” (Hallmark), “Reach out and touch someone” (AT&T) and the desire to do right “No more tears” (Johnson’s Baby Shampoo) or “Doesn’t your dog deserve Alpo?”

Johnson writes that we should zoom in on telling details. A good example is from a talk by Simon Dumeno at the Ad Age Digital Conference in 2010, “I’ve seen the future and it’s covered in greasy fingerprints.”

He recommends playing with rhythm and poetic patterns, breaking the rules and coining new words. Johnson uses examples of business names, movies books, ads, and twitter that use microstyle.

Maybe I shouldn’t quote so much from the book, but I did enjoy the way he wrote and using one of his examples of metaphor, Nissan’s “Life is a journey. Enjoy the Ride.”

Check out the blog thenameinspector.

Mona Kerby and Owney

Mona Kerby, who is known for her book Owney, The Mail-Pouch Pooch, spoke during National Library Week at McDaniel College.

Mona was a kindergarten teacher and later a librarian. She wanted to write but said she was intimidated until she realized, with so many books in the library, some of those writers had to be ordinary people. She decided to give it a try. At first, she wrote non-fiction books about bees, health and science of the 50s.

She said it took her years to write and rewrite Owney, The Mail-Pouch Pooch. She contacted the U. S. Postal Service and Post Office Museum and researched newspapers from that era.  The book is a interesting story about a dog that adopted the postal service in Albany, NY. Staying with mailbags, the mutt travelled on trains throughout the country and even around the world. He became the mascot of the Railway Mail Service. 

After he died, postal workers raised funds to have him preserved. He is on display, along with his numerous tags, at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Postal Museum’s atrium. In 1911 the post office issued an Owney stamp.  More information about Owney is available at www.postalmuseum.si.edu. 

Mona’s book won the Parents’ Silver Choice Award, Vermont’s Red Clover Award and the California Young Reader Medal. Recently the book was published in Korean.

Some of her other books for children are:

38 Weeks Till Summer Vacation

America Earhart: Courage in the Sky;

Beverly Sills: America’s Own Opera Star;

Frederick Douglass

Robert E. Lee: Southern Hero of the Civil War

Samuel Morse

She also wrote Reading Fun: Quick and Easy Activities for the School Library Media Center.

 Some hints she shared with the overflow audience included:

Cite your sources. humor helps, have a blog, read newspapers and other publications for ideas (She emails ideas to herself from newspapers) and research books at the library, on your topic, similar to your story (What is different about your book?)

Mona is a professor of Library Science and coordinator of the graduate school Library Media Program at McDaniel College. For more information and fun projects for children, check out www.monakerby.com. She also has a blog, owneythemailpouchpooch.wordpress.com.