Finding Your Writing Community

All writers need support and encouragement. If we want to continue growing as writers, we also need to have our work read by critical eyes. Not critical in the sense of finding fault, but rather an unbiased, realistic assessment of the work designed to help the writer improve. These results are what a writer receives from a good writing community.

Writers’ Critique Groups

Writers’ critique groups are one type of writing community. Here is a list of some of the groups in Northwest Indiana that are open to new members.

Blank Slate Writers’ Group

The Blank Slate Writers Group is primarily a critique group for writers and poets of all types, genres, and skill levels. The group is completely open to the public—it has no dues or membership fees. All writers are welcome. In the past it has had members as young as 10 and as old as 90.

Meetings are currently being held in the conference room at The South Bend Chocolate Company, which is located at 57 Franklin Street, Valparaiso, Indiana. Meetings are held on the first and third Tuesday of each month. They start at 6:00 and go till 8:00 pm.

The Blank Slate Writers’ Group publishes a newsletter twice a month, 3 or 4 days before each meeting. The newsletter contains information about writing (reprints of interesting Internet articles on writing) and a writing prompt exercise. Each member is encouraged (although not required) to write a short story using aspects of the writing prompt as inspiration and to bring it to the meeting for critique.

Those interested in attending a meeting should contact Tom Saine at tomsaine@juno.com and he will add your e-mail address to the newsletter mailing list. The newsletter has information as to dates and location of meetings.

Highland Writers’ Group

Highland Writers Group is a group of Northwest Indiana and Chicagoland region professional writers who meet on First Saturdays at Grindhouse Cafe, 146 N. Broad St., Griffith, IN, and Second Saturdays at Blackbird Cafe, 114 Lincolnway, Valparaiso, IN, both at 3:30 p.m. For more information, email us at writershighland@gmail.com and visit us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/highlandwritersgroup/) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/Buzz_from_HWG?lang=en). Keep on writing!

Magic Hour Writers

Magic Hour Writers provides information, support, and critique for those who write for children. It meets the second Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at Rosati’s in Schererville, Indiana. Dues are $10 a year.

For information, check out http://magichourwriters.blogspot.com or email Jacqueline Huppenthal at jackie.hupp@gmail.com.

Write-On, Hoosiers, Inc.

The Mission of Write-On, Hoosiers, Inc. is to offer education, friendship, and assistance to fellow writers, and to promote the excellence of writing in all its forms.

The Purpose of this organization is to provide support, education, information, and friendship to fellow writers.  Our Goal is to encourage as many Indiana men, women and children as we can to strive to reach their full writing potential.

In addition, through our website, blog, and special programs and speakers we strive to expose the talents of our Indiana writers.

We meet from 6 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. the 1^st and 3^rd Thursday at the Merrillville branch of the Lake County Library from January through November.

Contact:  Sharon Palmeri  - writeonhoosiers@comcast.net 

Conferences

Writing conferences are another place to connect with other writers. You can make new friends who provide encouragement and support, or you may connect with an established critique group or form your own. The networking that occurs at conferences can be invaluable.

If you are looking for a conference to attend, check out the 2018 Steel Pen Creative Writers’ Conference, which will be held on October 27 at Fair Oaks Farms just north of Rensselaer, Indiana. The conference offers lunch with keynote speaker Michael Poore, a full day of writing workshops, and multiple opportunities to connect with other writers. You can find more information and register at this link: www.steelpenconference.org.

But whatever means you use, we wish you luck in finding the perfect writing community.

"Oh, magic hour, when a child first knows she can read the printed word."

by

Hayley Morris

 

A highly regarded group, Magic Hour Writers is a cherished part of the writing community and continually supports IWC. Because of their value within the NWI community, earned from dedicating time and resources to promoting literacy and writing for children, IWC is highlighting the Magic Hour Writers this week.

Magic Hour Writers primarily work with children’s writing. Its mission statement is: “To encourage and promote excellence in writing for children through friendship, education, and peer support among writing colleagues.” According to Judy Whitcomb, the group’s name was taken from a quote from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, “Oh, magic hour, when a child first knows she can read the printed word.” Judy said this quote represents why the group writes for children.

The idea for Magic Hour Writers emerged in 2009 when Judy Whitcomb and Jackie Huppenthal took a children’s writing class from Sharon Palmeri. The group’s meetings began in January 2010. Along with Judy and Jackie, five other founding members were in that same children’s writing class. The group averages about 11 members per year.

As creative writers, Magic Hour members are involved in events and activities throughout the year to promote and encourage children’s writers. Members of the group have provided support for the Power of Poetry Project (P.o.P.P.), which is sponsored by IWC and primarily funded by the Crown Point Community Foundation. This year, four of the members volunteered to judge flash fiction and poetry entries by middle school and high school students for the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.

In order to stay in touch, the group meets on the second Thursday of each month. But, to keep communication open and make sure that members are up-to-date, Jackie and Judy send daily/weekly emails that inform members of contests, new publishers, agents looking for clients, etc., so that members do not miss any valuable opportunities.

During each meeting, the members work together in different ways to ensure that the group fulfills its mission statement. They work as a team, with many subgroups that make up the entire group. During the critique group session, there is time to read and critique each other’s work. Though the main focus is on children’s writing, if a member has another piece of writing to share, the group eagerly critiques and provides feedback for that piece as well. For yearly educational goals, the group brings in speakers to their meetings from time to time, and they purchase books annually which become part of a lending library for member use. Members provide peer support to each other by having a directory that indicates what the members are interested in and what they are working on, which allows sharing of information. If other members come across something that another member may find useful in their work, they send it along.

The community built within this group is one of admiration. It is always comforting surrounding yourself with people who have the same interests as you. This group does just that, with its main focus on promoting reading and writing for children. Magic Hour Writers, in fulfilling its mission statement, is making a better community for children and children’s writers. 



Writing Takes a Community

Imagine sharing a critique group with Mark Twain, Emily Dickinson, Louisa May Alcott, or Edgar Allen Poe. Unfortunately, it would take a seance.

Still, all writers start out unknown, and any member of your critique group might be a future bestselling author. Including you.

But first you have to belong to one.

Northwest Indiana has a number of writers' critique groups that are open to new members. Here are some suggestions:

• The Highland Writers' Group meets from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. on most Saturdays. On the first and third Saturdays of the month, HWG meets at Grindhouse Cafe, 146 N. Broad St., Griffith, Indiana. On the second and fourth Saturdays, it meets at Blackbird Cafe, 114 Lincolnway, Valparaiso, Indiana. This is a classic critique group where members encourage each other by providing helpful comments for improvement. Members write all genres, and there are no dues. New members and visitors over 18 are always welcome. For more information, contact Gordon Stamper at highlandwritersgroup@gmail.com.
• Magic Hour Writers meets at 6:30 p.m. every second Thursday at the Chapel Lawn Banquet Room, 8178 Cline, Crown Point, Indiana. The group's mission is to encourage and promote excellence in writing for children through friendship, education, and peer support to writing colleagues. For more information, e-mail Jackie Huppenthal at js.jm4huppenthal@sbcglobal.net or check out the group's blog site at http://magichourwriters.blogspot.com.
• The Northwest Indiana Poetry Society meets at 10:00 a.m. every third Saturday at Lowell Public Library, 1505 East Commercial Ave., Lowell, Indiana. "Words in rhymes, metered times, some thought provoking verse." For further information, call or e-mail Tom Spencer at 219-696-3338 or tspencer1943@comcast.net.
• The Prairie Writers Guild meets at 6:00 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month, almost always at the City Office and Pub in Rensselaer, Indiana. PWG promotes writing and writers in Northwest Indiana. New writers are always welcome. Stop by, have dinner, or just introduce yourself. For more information, go to http://prairiewriters.wordpress.com.
• Write-On Hoosiers meets at 6:30 p.m. each first and third Wednesday (January through November) at the Chapel Lawn Banquet Room, 8178 Cline, Crown Point, Indiana. Its mission is to offer education, friendship, and assistance to fellow writers and to promote the excellence of writing in all its forms. For more information, e-mail writeonhoosiers@yahoo.com or writeonhoosiers@comcast.net. check out the group's website at www.writeonhoosiers.org, or read the group's blog at http://writeonhoosiers.blogspot.com.

We hope to see you soon at one of these venues.