My Writer's Group

One of the most beneficial acts of writing I ever performed manifested from the seed of an idea born of years of struggling with the business of writing. Maintaining your motivation once you recognize writing's business side stands stalwart against your dreams and passions becomes a struggle.

I recognized after six or seven years, that I had learned volumes about writing, marketing, promoting and publishing and my head felt like it wanted to supernova. I decided I MUST find a few great writers with whom I could pass on what I knew and learn what they knew so that we could then pass on what we'd come to know.

I found those writers. At first we called ourselves the "Legare Gang". We wrote, had loads of fun, but after a while, our group stagnated and became more 'social' oriented than 'writing'. Two of our members decided to part ways once the other four regrouped and got serious again. The four renamed themselves the "Rogues Gallery Writers".

That was 18 months ago. Since then, we have produced five books, oodles of websites, blogs and Hubs, TV and radio interviews, large slick magazine excerpts, lots of awards and we've only just begun.

I am a member of three writers groups, all of which serve a vital purpose in my writing career. Without a doubt, being a Rogue is the most important. I cannot walk away from a meeting without the sense of being excited to write, market, promote, publish and anything else related to all our projects. Probably the most critical element to my writing is the kindred aspects of a tight-knit writer's group.

We went to meeting every week a few months ago and our meetings have become more and more productive. My drive and motivation (another word for overcoming all the excuses life feeds you to NOT write, market, promote, publish, etc.) is gunned, revved, shot forward like Superman saving Lois Lane and everything else in life is icing.

I know as soon as I say you cannot be a writer and totally isolate yourself from other writers, someone will prove me wrong. But my experience is that writers MUST interact with other writers on a regular basis if for no other reason than to keep their sanity.

Larger writers groups serve a huge purpose as well, showing us we're not some isolated, small clique of people to be ridiculed and discouraged. When I go to a Florida Writers Association meeting and there are 30 to 60 writers in attendance, I am motivated by sheer numbers and diversity. Often, if you are savvy, the knowledge contained in just one of these meetings can fuel your motivation for a month.

You must learn to communicate, step out of your writer's shell and network and learn all you can about what is happening in the writing world. Change is the only constant right now in writing and learning to be adaptable and still maintain your voice can be challenging. Meeting with large groups of writers can be a tremendous advantage to your knowledge base.

Then, the FWA conferences in October each year are pure bonanza. 300-500 writers in one spot with prestigious awards doled out and a net-worker's utopia make this event one to motivate you throughout the year.

Writing is a solitary pursuit. When I'm alone with my keyboard or pen, the external world melts into 'the absence of existence' and I bleed my thoughts, passions and insights without cognizance of anything but words. Even the words take on ethereal form and time ceases to have meaning. I don't need to explain this to you. If you've read this far, you're a writer.

When I step out of whatever I'm writing, there's a moment where the world reforms around me. It appears to me that in that moment, all peace is mine. I live for that moment and to get there I need the encouragement, support, camaraderie, information, knowledge, passions, diversities and a host of other attributes that writers bring to each other.

My two cents - writers groups are lifelines to assist us in our endeavor to find the words to paint our minds and hearts on white backgrounds and share with others that which is most important to us when we're behind the keyboard - or pen.

Vive le writer's groups!!!