Finding Your Tribe. Harvesting the fruits – by Siobhan Logan
This September, I’m reflecting on the many benefits that writing communities have brought me. In particular, I’m thinking of Leicester Writers’ Club which I first joined over 25 years ago. During that time, the club has only grown in diversity and the range of resources it offers. But here are my top 5 reasons to keep coming back.
- Shared passions & obsessions
‘What’s it like, living with a writer?’ someone asked my long-suffering husband. ‘Very quiet,’ he said. ‘Until she comes out of the study.’ With the best will in the world, family and partners must be baffled. How to explain the peculiarities of a writing process, let alone the vagaries of the publishing industry. Being hijacked by a character or a story idea and disappearing down rabbit holes for months on end with no words yet nailed down. The requirements for daydreaming time or snacks or new notebooks. It’s an absolute blessing to come across folk who get this, who are engaged in the same business. Do. Not. Call. It. A. Hobby.
- Shared awareness of craft
The core activity of each of these writing groups is workshopping manuscripts. Sharing work in progress. Offering a range of beta readers and an understanding that your work will land slightly differently with each one. Critiquing manuscripts with the kind of scrutiny that helps to polish your writing long before you submit it to an editor or agent. LWC also runs a programme of Sat. masterclasses or in-depth workshops on writing craft. At the same time, we’re sharing the unique joy and frustrations of a creative process, the weird alchemy that gets raw stuff from our imagination onto a page.
- Information & industry connections
Leicester Writers Club is a large group which includes writers working across many genres, at all different stages of their careers. There are people here who have pursued various routes into publication, who have edited anthologies or ran small presses or worked with traditional publishing houses. This means there is a constant exchange of tips and opportunities for submission. We also have a programme of industry speakers from authors to editors and agents. This month, we’ll have a literary agent, Rosie Pierce from Curtis Brown, attending LWC as a guest speaker. Not long after, we’ll have a poetry adjudication of our latest poetry competition by Gregory Woods. That kind of interface with industry folk is really precious and opens doors we might otherwise not have spotted.
- Friendship & encouragement
Not to be underestimated. Our weekly LWC meetings open with ‘Acceptances’ and every success is celebrated. From a shortlisting to a book deal, even a positive rejection is valued. Having a writing community around you means people who can put all that into perspective and cheer you on whenever there’s a stumble. As a community, we genuinely feel raised up by the efforts of other members. The club also holds social activities to help members get to know each other, like our annual garden party. Every year we book a LWC writers’ retreat in the idyllic setting of a Cotwsolds farmhouse (see my drawing of this below). So whether I need some backblurb comments for my next book or advice on a tricky synopsis, I know exactly who to turn to. Above all, the friendship of our shared endeavour builds the trust needed to unpack our writing in its rawest form.
- Inspiration & stimulus to try new things
I really value being in writers’ groups that speak to my different genre interests. And LWC embraces many genres and forms so I might be listening to a poem followed by a novel extract or a screenplay. Watching people explore different forms and picking out the underpinning craft is fascinating. And I am constantly inspired to raise my game and take creative risks. Sometimes it’s as simple as someone asking, ‘How’s the writing going?’ Or you bring along this bonkers thing you’ve started on and you have no idea what it is until you get some feedback. The constant exchange of different voices and stories keeps stirring the pot in which my own imagination is brewing stuff.
I would say that the LWC writing group particularly has nurtured my creative output over decades. But I’m also grateful to my local Leicestershire Poetry Stanza group and Leicester’s SFF group, the Speculators. All three of these groups now offer some digital access via Zoom meetings. And I myself host a Sunday Morning Zoom chat for members of Leicester Writers’ Club where we rake over our writing process and share tips and resources. There are on-line communities these days too. If you’re wondering whether a writing group is for you or how to find a good fit, I’d recommend this excellent blog by poet and reviewer, Emma Lee. Like me, Emma has been involved in various writers’ groups and has good advice about sussing out what you’re looking for.
Contributed by: Siobhan Logan
leicesterwritersclub.com 