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Thursday, August 4, 2022

Almost Ten Years To The Day...Joining Another Writing Group


Every once in a while I go back in time and check out what I blogged about in years past. I don't know why but when August 1st hit this year, something was bugging me. I kept thinking it was an anniversary of some event in my past. I think I was confusing 8/1 with 7/1. My mother passed away on July 1st.

That wasn't it.

For fun, I thought I'd look back on my previous blog posts for August 1st and I found something interesting. On 8/1/12 I drove to a South Salt Lake coffee shop (as a non-coffee drinker...) and attended a writing group. The handful of screenwriters gathered and discussed a submission from the group. I don't remember the story we critiqued, but I wrote down who it was that submitted. I also blogged that it was a story set in a Jane Austen setting. I'm posting the same picture I used in my blog on 8/1/12.


Tonight, I'm going to attend my first meeting with a new writing group...well, new to me. I'm a little nervous and anxious, as I was when I first attended the screenwriters group. I suppose it's natural.

It's been years since I was part of a writing group. I participated in one for several years until Covid hit and we moved. I suppose I could have stayed with them because we were attending remotely, meetings held online. Tonight, we'll be meeting remotely as well.

Participating in a writing group is a double-edged sword. A sword can defend you, provide food for you, or cut you, if you're not careful. When you open yourself up by submitting your art, that sword can cut deep. Of course, for the most part, the cutting needed to be done...you just need someone to tell you about it. If you let it, the critique sword can demoralize you, or, it can make your writing so much better.

I'm hoping tonight for the latter.

 

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