Jimmy 1984   10 #1 Posted February 20, 2012 Hi People,  This is my first post on here, I have recently moved into the area, Heeley to be precise, and I am looking to get involved in a writing group. I have been writing a novel for the past 2 years and feel I need a group who say meet up once a month to really push me on to complete it. I am also new into the area so wouldn't mind meeting some new people as well!! moving to a new area can get awful lonely...I am also willing to critique other people's work....if any one knows of any groups in the Heeley, Abbeydale Road, Sharrow Vale area please please give me a shout!  I realise posting this on a writing forum is a little odd by the way - why don't I just use this forum? I know, but I want to meet people! again if anyone knows anyone or wouldn't mind adding an extra person to their own little group get in touch..thank you thank you  James Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
FatDave   11 #2 Posted February 21, 2012 Howdoo, welcome to the group. I don't know of any face to face writing groups on here I'm afraid, but I'd also be interested to find out. After last November's NaNoWriMo I've come to realise that meeting to write is far more productive than attempting to write alone (game of minesweeper anyone?). My mother in law was recently given some office space for a couple of weeks by a friend of hers, her friend was there as well, and she says she has never gotten so much writing done; this has led me to wonder if it would be viable to get an office share going, and how much it would cost per person. I digress...  Good to meet you anyway. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Jimmy 1984 Â Â 10 #3 Posted February 21, 2012 Hi Dave, Â Cheers for the response, I know what you mean about having a group that meets up regular, it really does push you on, which is all important when trying to get something finished! writers need spurring on and encouraging and so in my opinion we need to get something organised. Anybody else out there fancy joining mine and Dave's writing group? We need to start thinking about venues. I do like the idea of empty office space, using up somewhere that is not being used, I am going to start looking about and seeing what is available in my area...think this could be a great resource for us sad, lonely and impoverished writers. We can bounce off another, undertand one anothers influences (in the process learn about new authors, gain new ideas) build a Sheffield writing enclave. Who else is in? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
De Batz   10 #4 Posted February 21, 2012 Whilst I'm struggling to find an hour to write most of the time, I can see how this would be a good thing to be involved in. I do think that other writers can be a valuable source of criticism, in that they can be more detached and therefore more honest than it is possible to be about your own work.  As far as groups go, I've not come across anything local to you - though I've not searched hard for it - but there are various things that happen about the city, often around the central venues. Try Bank Street Arts, which seems to have quite a few things going on. There were poetry readings at Bishop's House not long ago - see if you can find the thread on here.  If anything does get going, I can well imagine that I'd be keen to be involved, if the time was right! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Mr Gobby   10 #5 Posted February 22, 2012 The Sheffield library has a list of writer groups around the area, may be best to look there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Jimmy 1984 Â Â 10 #6 Posted February 22, 2012 Cheers Mr Gobby, I shall head to the library this weekend to check the list of groups. If there are none near to me I will look at possible venues round where I am. I'm really looking for a group to meet once a month, or maybe fortnightly, with work emailed to the members before the meetings for feedback during the meetings. So if the group is small then we can read everyone's work once a month/once a fortnight and then offer feedback during the meetings; if the group is quite big then we would look at say 3-5 per meeting and alternate appropriately. If anyone else is interested or knows of any venues round Heeley, Abbeydale Road, Sharrow Vale (or anywhere else in the area I don't know about) post it on here and I'll check it out... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Jimmy 1984 Â Â 10 #7 Posted February 22, 2012 Thanks De Batz as well, i'll search out Bank Street Arts too. Agree with your comment about writers offering good feedback, they are more likely to offer honest, constructive criticism I think (hopefully anyway) in that they have an idea what is going through the writers mind and the reasons why writers add certain character/plot sections into a story. They also generally ask pertinent structural questions. It is the structure of a story that I am most of the time preoccupied with. If you speak to someone with no writing experience and ask them whether they think your structure works they often look blankly back at you...they do with me anyway and so they should, who cares about structure? well I do, and most writers do, i think....anyway, ill check it out, cheers again... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Mr Gobby   10 #8 Posted February 23, 2012 There is one at the Crystal peaks libray (link)  http://www.sheffieldhelpyourself.org.uk/full_search_new.asp?group=21482 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Jimmy 1984   10 #9 Posted February 24, 2012 Right then, I've spoken to Bank Street Arts and the quote is £30 for a three and half hour slot. The room fits 15 people. I am going along tomorrow at 2pm to check it out. If anyone fancies coming along you are indeed invited. I'll be the one with the beard and the hair sticking up on end ...so we need 15 people, whose in?  The idea is a group that meets say fortnightly/monthly and critiques each others work. If we have 3 and half hours that should be plenty to get through everyone. We could even throw in a book club to fill the time!  If anyone fancies coming along i'll be there for two, I might even put up a poster to get some more people interested - i'm not great at posters though so expect something simple....if anyone wants to give me a call its 07828167139 (please don't abuse this number!!)  James Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Allo1010   10 #10 Posted February 25, 2012 Right then, I've spoken to Bank Street Arts and the quote is £30 for a three and half hour slot. The room fits 15 people. I am going along tomorrow at 2pm to check it out. If anyone fancies coming along you are indeed invited. I'll be the one with the beard and the hair sticking up on end ...so we need 15 people, whose in?  The idea is a group that meets say fortnightly/monthly and critiques each others work. If we have 3 and half hours that should be plenty to get through everyone. We could even throw in a book club to fill the time!  If anyone fancies coming along i'll be there for two, I might even put up a poster to get some more people interested - i'm not great at posters though so expect something simple....if anyone wants to give me a call its 07828167139 (please don't abuse this number!!)  James  I think you might want to start another thread =p And i'd be up for monthly meetings. I think that might suit a lot of the other people on here too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...