In June of 2017 the WhipCity Wordsmiths came into being with a simple email asking a few authors friends if they'd be interested in joining a writer's group in Westfield. I had been persuaded over a period of seven or eight months to start a writer's group, but I have never really been a fan of the sit around the table and write to prompts and then gently critique one another's work type groups. I cannot really write well under time constraints and to prompts that don't inspire me. So, I did a lot of thinking and decided I wanted a writer's group that was more a social and support group for authors and writers at all levels of the craft. I wanted to gather a group of creative people with a passion for writing, with a desire to write, and also a desire to support and assist their fellow writers by being mentors, beta readers, advisors, critics, and part of a group that meets monthly (except for July and August) and holds lively, mainly spontaneous conversations on the subject of writing.
This month marks the second anniversary of the founding of the WhipCity Wordsmiths. Members have come and gone, but t my surprise, we still number 55 members on the book. Our meetings can see anywhere from six or seven members in attendance to over twenty members gathered together. I am not much of a speaker so I have been relieved that members have jumped right in, opening up topics for discussion, sharing stories and information. The two hours we book at Blue Umbrella Books fly by. We're comfortable enough now with one another that no one is offended if they're cut off mid-sentence so someone else can say something they feel is important. Conversation tides ebb and flow. We laugh a lot. We hg one another. We completely understand one another and the journey we've all embarked upon by placing that first one on a piece of paper and creating something from it.
No one understands a writer/author and the creative process better than anther writer. It's invigorating to gather together with like-minded souls and talk or just listen. I know my creative battery sometimes runs low, but I always feel energized, recharged after spending time with other authors and writers.
We will be celebrating our two year anniversary on June 29th at 3PM at Blue Umbrella Books. I know it's later than last year's one-year party and that many of you are already busy with summer activities, but if you can join us we'll have cake and do some planning as we begin year three. Bring your ideas. Someone suggested we do some writing in the group. I'd like to hear what our personal favorite bit of writing is- something brief to share with the group.
We are wordsmiths. Rock on, Writers and Authors!!
