So as of right now I am a member of two different writers groups. One is here in Kamloops, and the other is in Calgary where I used to live and will be moving back to this summer or fall.
These groups are: (if you haven’t already checked them out in my handy dandy box this way>> )
IFWA – The Imaginative Fiction Writers Association – Calgary
&
IAG – Interior Authors Group – Kamloops
Why do I love them and think they’re the greatest thing since sliced bread? Because you get to meet other writers. You can bounce your ideas off someone else’s head. You hear amazing other stories. It’s that much easier to learn all about writing and publishing and the whozits and whatzits of the writing world. All of a sudden you don’t feel so isolated.
Sure blogs are a great thing, there’s lots of research and online friends and groups you can join. I love this and I love discovering new writers and awesome new blogs. But nothing can beat a straight up idea, hashing out, promotion or dishing on a new book session face to face with another writer.
The best part? Both of these group are extremely reasonable for their membership fees (especially when you consider the extreme amount of zeros in many other writer groups, conferences etc.)
IAG is designed for any writers from all walks of life and they meet once a month. It’s an amazing thing to discover this whole other group of people existed in a town you call home.
IFWA also meets once a month and it is for writers whose works have some sort of speculative element. This means there needs to be some sort of ghosts, zombies, vampires, unicorns, fairies, werewolves, aliens -you get the drift- in your writing. Things that don’t exist in real life but in the world of your writing they do.
Here’s hoping that all writers wherever you are find someone you can meet with face to face who loves writing just as much as you do. 😀
If not, know that there are lots of blogs just like mine, where all us writers stick together.
Cheers to all those groups that support such a wonderful art!
Oh and btw? It T-minus 5 days to Leap Into Chapter One!