I see on your blog and those of various others talking to LDS writers that finding a good writing/reviewing group is crucial. I am just starting to write, have no connections with other writers, and basically have no idea where to start to find such a group. Do you have any thoughts?
I’ve blogged about this topic before. You can read the posts here and here.
Let me just stress that the BEST place to find potential writer group participants is at a local writers conference. Where do you find writers conferences? Check at your local colleges and universities. Go online and find organizations and forums in your genre and join them, then start looking for others in your area.
Also, about those guidelines for a writers group, don’t know what I’ve done with them. But here are some good guidelines posted online: here, here, and here.
I went to a local writers group with the intention of joining, but when an older woman began reading her erotica piece for us to critique, I realized it wasn’t the group for me.
Online groups have worked well and are a good alternative if there aren’t any local groups.
Yes, online groups are great and you can even form your own yahoo group or something like that to run your pieces through to critique. I would have never found my writer’s group if it weren’t for attending the LDStorymaker’s conference.
Definitely hang out where other writers are–in real life or in cyberspace. My group began with members of my local chapter of the League of Utah Writers.