Good morning to all. I have about 10 New Years resolutions for the next year. One of them is to try to find a friendly writing/poetry/ short story forum to join. If anyone has a suggestion, I'd appreciate it .
Hiya, Larry!
Poet here. (MFA in CW blah blah.) I don't know of any creative writing forums that are well-established or active other than maybe some Facebook groups or something along those lines. I deleted my Facebook years ago, but, if you use it, you might consider doing a quick search and seeing if there's something on there that would work for you.
However, depending on where you live, such as somewhat near a larger town/city, you might consider looking into some local readings and attending a few. Chances are, you'll be able to pretty quickly find some fellow writers in your community who might be interested in forming a little workshop group or just a group of people you can bounce ideas off of/talk to about struggles and triumphs. Universities with Creative Writing programs, and sometimes libraries, put on events that are often free and open to the permies. You might ask a local bookstore, too, if they have any leads on some readings coming up. Attending readings is also a great way to show support and solidarity for the writers and the community!
If, like me, you're shy around new people, you might consider forming a little group with the people on here who want a similar online experience. Maybe send some PMs to people you notice have writing objectives similar to yours, exchange emails, then set up deadlines (monthly, weekly, whatever) for emailing work to each other for feedback. It could be more polished stuff, but I find that getting feedback on a piece you're pretty stuck on is the most rewarding in the long run. It might be pretty neat to start something like that with some fellow permies. Though it sounds fun, I would caution you to keep the group relatively small so that you can avoid being overwhelmed. Also, if you do choose to form a workshop group, it's like any other group situation. Kindness and empathy in your constructive feedback is a must, as well as some praise so as not to discourage some more sensitive/self-conscious writers.
In terms of organizing old stuff...can't help ya too much there (*as she averts her eyes away from the piles of half-filled notebooks lurking in every corner of the house*). When I feel that a poem is done, or isn't salvageable, I'll typically get rid of old drafts. But I like to keep most of my old drafts so I can see the evolution of a piece. It also makes it easier for me to not lose sight of what my original objective was with the piece.
I'm so glad to see so many writers on here! Writing can be such a cathartic and enriching experience; even more so when you can share it with someone else.
**Also, to anyone who thinks he or she isn't a writer because of grammatical issues, as a college writing tutor, grammar is often quite subjective, as someone stated above. I've told many students, particularly ESL students (English as Second Language), that, as long as the meaning of a sentence is easily understood by the reader, you're doing great.
Maybe not for an academic audience, but not all writing needs or wants to have that purpose.
Write anyway and often.
