19 Characteristics of RT19Writers

It's coming. We have to believe.

Have you ever wished you had a writers group that worked a little better for you? A group that inspires and truely helps each other find their way? One that honestly revels in each other's success? 

Not to brag, but we have a group like that. It is a very fortunate circumstance, one that we would wish upon anyone who wants to write and be published. Some people write best in a vacuum. But if you’d benefit from support, be it creative, emotional, or technical, a group might be the way to go.

Being part of the RT19 Writers, I thought it appropriate to pass along 19 aspects of our group. Maybe you could tweak yours, or maybe you could pass along some tips that work well for your group (we’re always tweaking--and yes, some are tweeting). 

• There are 11 of us.
• We meet twice a month at a local coffee-shop
• One bi-monthly meeting is in the morning
• One bi-monthly meeting is in the evening
• Some are published, some are not
• We each hold equal standing within the group
• Our fields are diverse: Poetry, illustration, non-fiction, picture books, early chapter, middle grade, young adult, craft books 
• One of us participates, primarily, virtually
• We send our work via email to be read prior to meetings
• We generally don’t read our work aloud during our meetings
• There are no limits on what you can send: one word titles to full novel manuscripts 
• If we send a novel, we give ourselves a month or so to read it
• We attempt to discuss all material that was emailed to us 
• If no one has circulated anything, we discuss trends, industry news, our blog etc.
• We try to mix a couple of parties in, usually a Christmas dinner and a summer picnic
• We recently held a fantastic Master class with Emma Dryden and now hope to hold a master class yearly
• We plan to have two workshops this summer with everyone reading something they’re working on.
• We are kind, considerate, and constuctive in our critiques
• We understand that everyone has complicated lives that sometimes interfere

There are aspects of our group that can’t be reduced to a bullet list. They relate, instead, to character, creativity, dedication--pieces of which will emerge from most everyone in a nurturing environment. We hope you find such a place for yourself. If you have, we would love to hear about it.