Writing clubs?

[Rochelle]

I was looking through information on my local area, trying to find a writing club or something similar that I could hang out with and have real people to talk to instead of going from work to home all the time. Then I wondered, does anyone do writing clubs in the real world (i.e.: not online)?

[Vix]

During NaNoWriMo, I meet with two different groups -- one in Harrisburg and one in State College, each a little over an hour's drive from here. We tried extending it, starting up again in January, but couldn't keep it up.

[Yvonne]

I've never met with a writer's group before, but I did meet a guy whose short story was in the same anthology as mine. He's getting his PhD in English and as such, I was somewhat intimidated. I do like talking with other writing folks, though I'd be WAY too scared to shop my work in real life. Criticism is SO much easier to accept and learn from when it comes from a faceless, anonymous source!

Best of luck, though. There's got to be something. Try going through arts centres, libraries, or your local university - there might be something there!

[Rochelle]

Thanks Yvonne! But so far I haven't had much luck. I found two groups -one is romance writers only, and the other was a local group that disbanded because of differences between members. Not sure I wanted to be with them anyway!

I've thought about checking the universities, but I've been kind of leery of looking at a club in a place I don't actually attend. That, and I didn't have such great luck when I was in college --I tried to start one with another student, got all the permission and everything, and then the creative writing teacher got wind of it and created his own (basically it was a teacher fan club) and the university decided that they only needed one club and mine didn't have teacher backing. Yuck.

And don't ever be intimidated by English majors I roomed with three honor student English majors, and guess who they had proofreading their papers? When it comes to fiction, practice and enjoying what you do beats analysis and dissection every time!

[Yvonne]

It's not the English majors that intimidate me - I have my minor in English and can hold my own in a coversation with them. It's the folks with their friggin' PhD that are kind of scary-smart.

And I can't really think of anywhere else to send you to... maybe ask at some of the indie bookstores?