Writing Group

Alright, I’ve made my decision. I’m going to try.

No clue what I’m talking about? You’re not alone. :)

I’ve always had this philosophy about things, though I seldom acknowledge until I need it, that if I want something and I can’t find it anywhere- I should make it. At work I affectionately call this spot of thought "Don’t see a pile? Make a pile." Meaning if you can’t find a place for whatever weird cooking utensil that is then make a place for it. Can’t find what you want in any store? Make it. Can’t find the perfect internet hangout for people with your interests? Make one. That’s what I did with my community site.

There are no writing groups in my area. I’ve looked, and looked, and looked but still found nothing. No, I take that back. I found several groups… online, downstate, upstate, and one just near enough I’d consider going to it if they didn’t require such a stupendous subscription fee that I wouldn’t pay even if I could afford it.

So, since I can’t find one I’m going to start my own. Er… try. I’m going to try to start my own writing group.

It’ll be a lot of responsibility, people might not show up, it could turn into a big chaotic fiasco, or I could just flat out fail miserably but I’m still going to try because for all I know I could start something great. It’s true, I’ve never even been to a writers group. In fact, unless you count the kickoff for the NaNoWriMo coming up (I’ll explain further down) I’ve never met another writer other than the one I live with and those who dare to bless me with their presence online. Even still- my lack of knowledge on the matter doesn’t make things worse in my eyes. In fact it makes then better, this way I am like a blank sheet of paper, coming into a new experience without any preconceptions or notions of what ‘should’ happen. This way- I will learn from what happens rather than what others say will happen and in my opinion that’s a valuable way to go about things.

I’m going to wait till after the first NaNoWriMo get together before I make any decisions on the matter- this way I’ll know what it’s like to get together with strangers who have something in common with me. That and if I decide to do this I’ll already have a way to connect with others from my area and ask if they want to come. :)

About that…

I’m so happy right now. Since the beginning of October I’ve been trying to put together a NaNoWriMo get together in my area. There wasn’t one last year but this year, thanks in no small part to my persistence and I’m proud to admit that, we have ten to fifteen people who’ll be coming up to the bookstore on various days. Many of them will be showing up there with me on the first day to celebrate the NaNoWriMo and all things writerly.

I’ve spent the past few days practically living in chat and speaking to all these people from my area who never in all their past years of doing the NaNo had a chance to get together with others because there were no get togethers for them to go to! I’m really starting to feel like this is going to work and if I can manage this, if I have it in me to organize one spontaneous little meeting in less than a month… what else am I capable of?

It boggles the mind! Well, alright, it might just boggle my mind but I like boggle, both the word and the game so I suppose it suits me.

I’ve found something out that not only boggles (yes, I’m growing attached to the word) my mind further but makes me exceptionally happy with myself. See, I am not a social creature, no matter what direction you look at me from. Groups of people make me cringe internally, speaking to those I haven’t known more than a year frightens me, and I just don’t do loud… anything. Yet, when it comes to getting a bunch of strangers together in a room and getting them to open up to one another and have a good time- I seem to be quite adept even though I’m still internally freaking out.

It’s been pointed out to me several times on my community site and when I bring together different groups of friends to meet for the first time. It’s been pointed out in chat and how when I leave sometimes everyone else goes quiet for a little bit. I feel… happy over this. :) Like I’m good at bringing people together and it makes me smile.

Still, I’m very unsure. Tomorrow’s going to be like a test run for me though. I’m going to the bookstore with my sis, Kei, and we’re (hopefully) going to meet with one of the WriMo’s that’ll be coming to our November first thing to discuss writing and how we might make the who gathering go a little smoother. This isn’t the first person I’ve gone off to meet someone I’ve met online (though it’s the first time I’m going to meet them after only speaking to them for a day) and it probably won’t be the last. Fortunately I’m not stupid. My husband is going to be there during the beginning, my sis the entire time, and we’ll all be in the nice public bookstore where all the staff know me by name and favorite isle to spend hours in so I’m not terribly worried about the whole online bit. I am worried about my social skills though, so, like I said. This is going to be a test. I’ll make it through tomorrow and I’ll make it through the meeting on the first. If I can do that and I still feel confident about this whole writer’s group thing then I’ll go forward with that first foot on the path and see where it takes me.

I figure if all goes well and I get this thing off on the right foot I could host meetings once a month, though all those I’ve suggested it to would prefer bi-weekly meetings incase they can’t make one. I suppose I can do bi-weekly, goodness know I can shift my work schedule to it but I have to figure out if I’m ready to do it that often or not. I already have two places in mind where I know I can hold them at though I have to check on the specifics, one is the bookstore and the second would be to ask a friend of mine up at work how I go about getting them to let me use one of the meeting rooms at the resort but the drive to me is a little out of the way and I’d rather the bookstore because 1. I don’t work there, 2. more people live near there, and 3. I’m always up there anyways.

Anyways, we meet whenever. Finding people is no trouble at all. We could get together for an hour or two, set aside time to talk about whatever, talk about writing, set aside a few minutes to write together, set aside some time to share if we feel like it and wing the rest. Or heck, wing it all, though I do intend on having some sort of battle plan just because I can. :) I figure I can bring snacks, easily, the first few times and maybe encourage the others to do the same later on once we know each other a little more.

What do you think? Someone please give me some feedback. I’ve been thinking about it a lot and I know I might be getting myself into something crazy but I really want to give it a try.

Delayed

Hello all! *waves* Sorry, I know it’s been a few days but I’ve been pretty sore lately with my back and all besides- the NaNo is coming up. How can I not be running around like a chicken with my head cut off? And enjoying it of course. :D

The NaNo chat room is turning out wonderfully! Took a tiny while to pick up but I’ve been in it a lot these past few days talking to other writers and having a great time getting to know them. Makes me a little sad though when I login and find out I’ve missed some of them but I can’t be in there all the time so hopefully I’ll catch them one of these times.

I’ve found two fellow NaNo’ers in my area (one really close by) who I know I’ll be meeting for sure this next month, the others… are a little more uncertain. A lot of them can’t come around till the end of the month which is alright but I was hoping to find a day we could all get together as a group. Oh, well though, we’ll figure it out in the end or I hope we will.

I’ve been thinking about an idea for the past six months or so… See, there aren’t any actual non-online writing groups in my area. Yeah, we have them in Michigan but they’re all down and upstate, the closest one costs a subscription fee of… well, let’s just say I wouldn’t pay it even if I could afford it. Anyways, I’ve been thinking about organizing my own writing group. I know if I really set my mind to it I could do it but- I don’t know. I’m still unsure of taking that final step and trying it out. I mean, if I try and it fails then either I learned one way not to go about it or I learn it’s not for me but either way it’s better not trying at all and possibly missing out on something good.

We’ll see. Any of you out there attend a writing group? Want to tell me about it? Please?

Today was pretty awesome. Picked up a friend of mind and hung out doing nothing in particular for several hours before her, Kei, and I went for a walk through the woods up to the Cemetery. I told them it was going to get dark before we got there and I was right too (!) but it’s alright because I had a flashlight with me so we walked around, in the black of night, reading gravestones and singing to the stars. It was wonderful!

Even better- we didn’t have to walk back. When we were done basking in the peace, the night, and the wilderness I called my mom-in-law and she came to get us. I was half asleep before we even got home so all in all it was a pretty awesome night. I brought my camera but I didn’t get any pictures because it was too dark and my batteries were still pretty low from our last excursion.

That reminds me (yes, this is going to be one of those random posts where I spring from topic to topic like a crazy lady) I made a photo video from all my recent wild life drives. It still needs a bit of clean up but I’m going to be putting it up here soon as well as a couple of other mini vids from this awesome scenic place I went to with Hunny the other day.

… This post has taken me like three days to write. My brain is all foggy and preoccupied so I’m just gonna leave it here and post it. :) Tomorrow I’m going to the museum. I’ll make a better post then.

NaNo: Kat’s Tail Synopsis

Will catch up on comments tomorrow.

I don’t know why but every time I start writing about my project I start to get seriously hyped up. I just finished filling out my novel info section on my NaNoWriMo profile page and if I weren’t so tired I swear I’d run off and go type out another three or four scenes for the night but fortunately (I say fortunate because I have to work tomorrow and I need to get some sleep) I had such a wonderful running around kind of day that I don’t have enough energy left to even consider opening my word processor.

This is a screenie from my NaNo profile. I saved it because it just looks so nice.

In my opinion the summary doesn’t do it justice of any sort- that’s probably why I’m not half paranoid about sharing it but anyways, yeah, no justice done.

There’s so much I would have liked to put into this but- short and sweet seemed right and goodness knows how easily I could go off on a tangent about one of my stories.

Sometimes I just go on, and on, and on, and so far that it probably would have been easier to write the book. Lol. :)

Anyways, how’s my day been? Excellent. I went with my mom-in-law today to the museum and listened to another one of our relatives given an awesome lecture on Native Americans which was absolutely wonderful. You could tell that he loves what he does and I had a really great time. Rei, mom, and I are all going back again for another one next week and then we have another trip planned after that to go see the actual museum and spend hours upon hours combing it over with love and enthusiasm.

I’m considering volunteering up there this summer though I don’t know what use they’d find for me I’m sure I could do something to help. This summer is going to be awesome- I have so many things I want to do and I’m sure I won’t have time for all of it but that’s the fun of it. There’s so much in life to enjoy.

I really did enjoy that lecture today. It made me feel more connected with my new family and honored to be invited to attend. Better still- it actually helped me do some research for some of my other writings and I just feel so darn good for putting some new knowledge into my head. I tell you it’s strange not being in high school, or any non online school, for so long and then suddenly making yourself sit quietly in a room with others to listen to another for the sole purpose of learning.

So awesome.

I’m very, very tired and my only day of work this week is tomorrow. It’s sad because 1. we’re between seasons and there aren’t many hours going round and 2. because the one day they put me on is actually my two month anniversary and I was hoping to spend it at home lovingly torturing my wonderful husband but that’s alright. He’ll be up at the college anyways so I’ll just wait till the net day. :)

Anyways, double peace out for now. I need to sleep.