Lorraine's blog

The following article is reproduced with the kind permission of Writing Magazine

Writers’ Groups Abroad

A drawback to being a writer abroad is lack of meaningful contact with other writers. It takes another writer to empathise with rejections and to understand the euphoria of an acceptance.

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There are English-language writers’ groups in various countries, so there might be a circle close to you. The Directory of Writers' Circles, Courses and Workshops has a list of overseas groups.

If your country isn’t listed, or doesn’t have a group in your region, you could join an online site, or start a writers’ circle yourself.

Online Groups
The Directory of Writers' Circles, Courses and Workshops has a listings page for online groups or type writing group into a search engine.

Do research carefully to find the right group for you. Three that I can recommend through personal experience are:

Writelink – This group covers poetry, novels, non-fiction and short stories. The members range from absolute beginners to experienced writers.

YouWriteOn.com – Primarily for novel writers, although short stories are accepted, it is sponsored by the Arts Council.

The Book Shed – The Book Shed asks prospective members to submit a writing sample for assessment before membership is granted.

Starting a Circle
If you live in a country with a relatively large ex-pat community, the chances are high that there will be a sprinkling of writers around. To find them, try placing an advert in the local paper, or ask the local dealer of English books and/or DVDs to put up a notice. If there is an English-language radio station, they will often air requests for ex-pat residents.

But what to do once you have attracted enough writers? My advice is to buy a copy of Simon Whaley’s Running a Writers Circle. Although written primarily for the UK market, the same principles apply abroad, such as: how to chair, what posts a committee should comprise, ideas for meetings, how to attract new members, running competitions and, most importantly, giving constructive criticism. Once your group is established you might want to set up a website or organise writing retreats – and both of those aspects are covered, too.

The Directory of Writers' Circles, Courses and Workshops has a free listing service, so do tell them about your new group so that other ex-pat writers can find you. Diana Hayden – Editor, 39 Lincoln Way, Harlington, Beds LU5 6NG, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1525 873197 Email: diana@writers-circles.com

Remember, ex-pat writer doesn’t have to be synonymous with lonely writer.

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