Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Retreating

We call it The World's Greatest Critique Group because, well, why not?
This weekend I attended an annual writing retreat with my critique group of fifteen years. We rent a big old house in quaint, artsy Saugatuck with no internet, no TV, and no other distractions except maybe each other.  We write and some of us paint, and we share and eat and laugh and eat and write some more. I always have a good time, but this year was particularly soul satisfying. Having a writing group of some kind is essential if one aspires to write professionally, but I probably wouldn't be writing much anymore at all without the continued encouragement of these marvelous creative people. They are my writing teachers, mentors, and dear friends.  I always feel inspired to keep improving after spending time with them.

          Though I'm newish to the Slice of Life writing community, I see this place in a similar light. Here we teach each other and connect together as colleagues and friends. The pursuit of putting the right words in the right order to say something with meaning can be daunting for anyone.  To write in any context, be it a blog or a book or even in a private journal, takes a certain amount of bravery. Community builds courage.  So here's to writing communities, big and small, everywhere. May they nurture the voices of poets, and change our world for the better as they always have.


7 comments:

  1. You have a big writing group. I've had a few groups over the years. I agree it is essential. It's also essential to find the right one. One of my groups still meets but we don't critique much anymore. We mostly visit. It's nice to have friends who support you in your writing life.

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  2. I also consider the Slice of Life community my writing support group. It is wonderful to belong to such a supportive community. You are twice blest.

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  3. I love how you have an in-person writing group as well as the SOSLC community. It's wonderful to have more than one place where you can feel at home as a writer, isn't it?

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    1. It is! What I love about the SOSLC community is that it is a teaching community as well. The sensibility and perspective is a bit different--it forces me to think differently sometimes and I really value that. I also love witnessing teachers who are in the process of discovering the writer inside them. :-)

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  4. I love this line..."Community builds courage." Powerful and so true! I will remember this post as I work to establish a teacher's Writing Group this school year.

    Thanks for sharing!

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  5. Community does build courage - what a wonderful ritual you have put together, to meet in a beautiful place to work on writing, community, and courage.

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  6. Community does build courage - what a wonderful ritual you have put together, to meet in a beautiful place to work on writing, community, and courage.

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