Category Archives: Writers’ Groups

Ain’t Our First Rodeo

Once again, some stories of mine got published. The anthology Ain’t Our First Rodeo: Another Fort Worth Writers Anthology just came out.

They roped me into co-editing this anthology, the third for which I’ve served in an editorial capacity. With any luck, another geological epoch will pass before I edit another one.

We wrangled a lot into this volume. Altogether, seventeen authors contributed eighty-six works, including poems, essays, chapter excerpts, and short stories. They hogtied every mood, topic, style, and tone you can imagine, and then some you can’t imagine.

As a rule, I don’t put my own stories in anthologies I’m editing, but, well, it’s more of a guideline than a rule. You’ll find three of my short stories cluttering this book.

“Voyage of the Millennium Quester”

A time-traveling duo ventures back to record the most incredible astronomical sight in history. If they’re not careful, the dumber one of the pair might mess things up.

“Weathervane Wally”

A Texas farmer claims his weather-forecasting armadillo surpasses Punxsutawney Phil in prognosticating prowess. Can he prove that to a Pennsylvania TV reporter?

“Bringing the Future to You”

Doctor Edison Thornwhipple couldn’t see anything in Doctor Rachel Clairvaux’s crystal ball, but what she saw changed the next ten minutes…and the world. First published (with some text differences) in the anthology Cheer Up, Universe!

Y’all can lasso your own copy of Ain’t Our First Rodeo here and get a good roundup of stories by—

Poseidon’s Scribe

October 20, 2024Permalink Leave a comment

9 Other Reasons to Join a Critique Group

In this blog, I’ve often suggested you join a critique group to improve your writing. Such groups can help you in other ways, though, aside from just learning to produce higher quality writing output (though that would be reason enough). In varying degrees, I’ve received all of these benefits from critique groups.

You can read about many of these additional perks in this fine post by poet Bruce W. Niedt. To his list I’ve added a couple more.

  • Writing Opportunities. Critique group members can alert you to writing contests, upcoming conferences, useful workshops, and writing classes. They can also warn you about scams.
  • Story or Idea Inspiration. Every now and then, a critique group member may say something that sparks your creative flame. It could be a snippet of dialogue, a setting description, a plot event, or an entire story. When this occurs, you should ask if you can use the idea.
  • Market News. Often, one member of the group will share information about a new fiction market opening up, or new trends that agents and publishers are looking for.
  • Promotion Help. When other members run a blog or post on social media, they’re sometimes willing to promote your writing on their platforms. It’s courteous for you to reciprocate for them, of course.
  • Taking Criticism. At some point, your writing will face criticism from editors and readers. Once you’ve learned to receive harsh blows from your critique group friends with understanding and without defensiveness, you’ll be prepared to endure anything others dish out.
  • Giving Criticism. Participation in a critique group also trains you how to critique others’ writing, which may come in handy should you ever work as an editor. Even more important, you’ll become a better reader. You’ll read with the perception of a writer.
  • Production Motivation. Critique group meetings serve as a prod, urging you to write and submit to the group. You’ll feel guilty when you have nothing to share. Without the schedule pressure of an upcoming group meeting, you might fall into lazy habits.
  • Peripheral Proficiency. There’s actual writing, and then there’s the other stuff—submissions, correspondence with editors, cover letters, bios, author photos, public speaking, book signing, etc. Chances are, someone in your critique group can prepare you for your first experience with these tasks.
  • Connection and Rapport. If those who live with you aren’t writers, there are things they just won’t understand. Worse, they may harbor suspicions that you’re not quite right. But the members of your critique group get you. To them, at least, you’re normal. It’s reassuring to socialize with people who share your interest.

You’ll benefit from a good critique group even if all it does is improve your writing. The incidental benefits add icing and candles and sprinkles, etc., to the cake. Join a critique group, or start one. You’ll enjoy it for many reasons, and maybe end up thanking—

Poseidon’s Scribe

July 31, 2022Permalink

Leading a Writers’ Group

Have you joined a writers’ group in your local area? If so, have you given any thought to running for president of the group? There are good reasons to do that.

Many years ago, I served as president of such a group. Back then, it was known as The Writers’ Association of Anne Arundel County, or TWAAAC. (All the good acronyms were already taken.) Sometime after my term ended, they changed the name to the Maryland Writers’ Association (MWA).

This past week, the current MWA officers held a Zoom meeting to gather and honor all the past presidents of the group. It was wonderful to talk to people I hadn’t seen in many years, and to learn how much the organization has grown and to find out about all the new activities going on.

All volunteer organizations have too few members doing all the work and too many members doing nothing. Writers’ groups are no different, and might even be worse, given that writing is a solitary, time-consuming activity. Still, I believe if you’re asked to serve in some official position, even as president, you ought to consider doing it. Here’s why:

  • It will serve as a new life experience for you, especially if you’ve never led a group before. As a writer, you should seek out such new experiences. That way you can write with authority about characters going through their first leadership positions.
  • You’ll meet and work with other writers. This expands your network of contacts, several of whom might become readers or critique partners someday.
  • It many develop your leadership capabilities. As president, you’ll face problems and you’ll have to think of solutions or at least evaluate and implement the best ones proposed by other group officers.
  • It will help overcome a fear of public speaking. Being the leader, you’ll have to speak to the group. That experience will serve you well when it comes to giving readings from your books at writing conferences, or talking to readers at book signings.

Yes, there’s a small downside to serving as president of a writers’ group. Time spent performing presidential duties is time not spent writing. However, your term will not last forever. Typically, presidents of such groups serve for only a year or two.

Perhaps you believe you’re too young to serve as president. Maybe most members are older and seem more experienced. That’s how it seemed to me. Here’s the reality—most volunteer organizations seek out young people who are full of energy and ideas. They’re the ones who keep such groups fresh and vital. The more senior members are looking for people like you.

In many cases, those older members have already served their time as president and now lack the time or energy to do so again. Often, they’ll gladly serve as a mentor for you if you’re not sure what to do.

If you do get elected president of your group, I’d encourage you to spend some time thinking about the future of the group. What activities would inspire and nurture writers? How might the organization reach out to gain new members? In what ways could the group be better in five years and what steps are necessary to make those improvements happen?

Finding answers to these questions and acting on them could make your term as president enjoyable and valuable to the group.

I hope you are able to serve as president of your local writers’ group. You’ll do well. It’s not rocket science. That job can even be performed, with some competence, by a much younger—

Poseidon’s Scribe

July 4, 2021Permalink