Looking For Help

Looking For Help

"I would like to get a small writing group together in the South Bay area. I know there was some interest at the Upstart Crow reading a couple of weeks ago. I have never been part of a writing group before, so this is all new to me. I know I need help and advice, particularly for the novel I recently finished.

I don't have much in the way of credentials, but I gained a little experience reviewing and critiquing stories when I worked with the small press magazine Neophyte. I've also published an eBook and can talk to many of the issues involved with that kind of project.

Charlie Bell"
I posted this on the GBW discussion forum today. I'm not sure how many will read it. The forum had only one entry when I first joined GBW. Now it has three, the last two being posted by me. I had also previously sent the organizer, Sally, a message reminding her that she had intended to send out a list of member locations to help us organize our own internal groups. She returned a thanks for reminding her note, but nothing more happened.

Two more friends of mine are helping me out by reading the first draft of my novel, which I really appreciate. I got some early feedback from one of them. He had read about a third of it so far. He liked the quick pace and said that everything was very well explained, which was an important element for him. That's very encouraging to me.

One of the "tricks" to keep from backsliding on my writing came from the Upstart Crow reading. Sally suggested that we go to the section of books where our book would be and imagine it on the shelves. Take a picture of that shelf, and put it where it can always be seen when you write. I did that. Unfortunately, it hasn't worked well, at least not yet. I'm so invested in the first book right now, it's hard for me to focus on the second book, which I should be writing! I haven't been a complete slug, however. The first chapter is about half done. I've also started compiling a rough draft of future chapters. If I can forecast the characters and plot further out than the current chapter, I can probably increase the pace of my writing. The chapter outlines will only be a guide, however. My way of writing is to give my characters a lot of elbow room to be themselves. I set the environment, but their own actions directly influence what happens. That probably sounds strange, but when I write I very much believe in my characters and that they in some way have their own say in what happens to them.