Comments on: A Wallflower in the Writing World http://www.hittingthebooks.com/2005/10/05/a-wallflower-in-the-writing-world/ Reading...Writing...Life Wed, 07 Jan 2009 02:54:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: AE Rought http://www.hittingthebooks.com/2005/10/05/a-wallflower-in-the-writing-world/#comment-30 AE Rought Tue, 18 Oct 2005 15:38:26 +0000 http://www.hittingthebooks.com/?p=29#comment-30 I am with you on the whole shy thing. I hate groups of people. I even hide when my family gets together for Christmas (but, that's another story entirely *scary*). I have, however, started to stick my neck out there a little. Our local bookstore has an Open Mic night, alot like the Open Blog night on RTB and twice now, I've gone and read my writing. I still shake, my voice still trembles, but I figure, it's a start. Is there something similar in your area? I'd like to find a writer's group, too, but this is such a little bitty area, the whole Open Mic night threw everybody for a loop. I am with you on the whole shy thing. I hate groups of people. I even hide when my family gets together for Christmas (but, that’s another story entirely scary). I have, however, started to stick my neck out there a little. Our local bookstore has an Open Mic night, alot like the Open Blog night on RTB and twice now, I’ve gone and read my writing. I still shake, my voice still trembles, but I figure, it’s a start. Is there something similar in your area?

I’d like to find a writer’s group, too, but this is such a little bitty area, the whole Open Mic night threw everybody for a loop.

]]> By: Mome Rath http://www.hittingthebooks.com/2005/10/05/a-wallflower-in-the-writing-world/#comment-25 Mome Rath Tue, 11 Oct 2005 03:01:27 +0000 http://www.hittingthebooks.com/?p=29#comment-25 Yup - I think you should look into at least attending one writer's conference, just so you can get some perspective from other writers. And take someone with you who also writes - maybe you can even get Mr. MBH. But you can learn just as much online from others going through the writing process. And you just might consider getting in contact with an old college alum who has finished writing a book that he is working on getting published (I can get you the contact info for him if you need it). As for writer's groups - today they can be done online (which is easier for a mom) - but they can be beneficial, even if the writer's don't always see eye-to-eye. Take Tolkein and Lewis and their band at Oxford. Lewis and the others encouraged Tolkein though his long writings on Middle Earth, and even though Tolkein never fully appreciated Lewis's Narnia (it wasn't as fully developed a world as Middle Earth in Tolkein's eyes), he certainly was an inspiration to Lewis. And in the end, Lewis ended up writing far more on a much broader variety of topics. Writers spur one another on - and Ideally in an edifying way to inspire even more creativity and commitment to finishing the course of a book. So - the long and short of it - yes, I think you should at least look into a writer's conference - and take someone with you. Hope you can get some good feedback from other writers out there. And maybe a visit from the esteemable Miss Snark. ps. Shy little daisy? Certainly not how I would describe you. But point taken about being more comfortable in smaller groups. I think you've got more backbone and initiative than you give yourself credit for, though. Yup - I think you should look into at least attending one writer’s conference, just so you can get some perspective from other writers. And take someone with you who also writes - maybe you can even get Mr. MBH.
But you can learn just as much online from others going through the writing process. And you just might consider getting in contact with an old college alum who has finished writing a book that he is working on getting published (I can get you the contact info for him if you need it).
As for writer’s groups - today they can be done online (which is easier for a mom) - but they can be beneficial, even if the writer’s don’t always see eye-to-eye. Take Tolkein and Lewis and their band at Oxford. Lewis and the others encouraged Tolkein though his long writings on Middle Earth, and even though Tolkein never fully appreciated Lewis’s Narnia (it wasn’t as fully developed a world as Middle Earth in Tolkein’s eyes), he certainly was an inspiration to Lewis. And in the end, Lewis ended up writing far more on a much broader variety of topics. Writers spur one another on - and Ideally in an edifying way to inspire even more creativity and commitment to finishing the course of a book.
So - the long and short of it - yes, I think you should at least look into a writer’s conference - and take someone with you. Hope you can get some good feedback from other writers out there. And maybe a visit from the esteemable Miss Snark.

ps. Shy little daisy? Certainly not how I would describe you. But point taken about being more comfortable in smaller groups. I think you’ve got more backbone and initiative than you give yourself credit for, though.

]]> By: becca http://www.hittingthebooks.com/2005/10/05/a-wallflower-in-the-writing-world/#comment-24 becca Mon, 10 Oct 2005 20:15:10 +0000 http://www.hittingthebooks.com/?p=29#comment-24 I wish I had more time-- I would go to a conference with you. :-) And I also wish I had good advice... I get the super-shy-around-strangers thing too. Mine is so bad I actually make Jason order the pizzas and make the appointments; so you have a leg up on me. Hee. Are there any online writing groups? Maybe you could have the anonymity of the internet along with the honesty of strangers. I wish I had more time– I would go to a conference with you. :-) And I also wish I had good advice… I get the super-shy-around-strangers thing too. Mine is so bad I actually make Jason order the pizzas and make the appointments; so you have a leg up on me. Hee. Are there any online writing groups? Maybe you could have the anonymity of the internet along with the honesty of strangers.

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