At SWG awards (Photo by Shelley Banks)
Recently I had the opportunity to read from my work, at an awards ceremony by the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild. I had won first place in the Short Manuscript Contest, in all three categories of Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry.
As I was deciding how to introduce myself, I realized how many people I have to thank. I was given 10 minutes, and I could have spent all of it thanking people. My professors at the University of British Columbia, of course – Brian Brett for Fiction, Wayne Grady for Nonfiction, Karen Solie for Poetry – but others in local writing groups such as the Phantasts and the Erratics.
I’m not much of a joiner, really, but I’ve come to realize the value of writing groups and organizations to my practice. Critiques are useful, but so is the camraderie and the sense of community that develops between members of a group that share similar interests.
For example, the Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC) is one group that brings me into the community of professional writers who earn a living from their words. One value of particiating is the people you meet, like local PWAC and SWG member, Shelley Banks, who recently published an interview with me on her blog. In fact, I feel strongly enough about the value of PWAC to have founded a chapter in my region a few years ago.
The Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild is another group that brings writers together, offering professional development and funding programs that allow writers to grow and thrive. Workshops, retreats and conferences can be useful at a certain point in the writing process, and SWG offers a variety of these over the year.
As well, the Saskatchewan Playwrights Centre helps playwrights at all levels of their career, giving them a chance to hear their words read by professional actors (I’m also a founding member). The short story that won the above contest, “Angelwing,” began as a play. I can still hear actor Ian Black (who passed away in 2006) reading the lead role, and hear the wise counsel of director Sharon Bakker during my cold reading of the play back in the 1990s.
Retreat led by CANSCAIP member Dianne Young
The Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers (CANSCAIP) is another association that I’ve joined recently, after Scholastic Canada published my children’s book Dragonflies are Amazing. Local CANSCAIP conferences and workshops have been a boost to my career. I have a chance to send a manuscript to a publisher this fall because of a pitch session at the last CANSCAIP Prairie Horizons conference.
And there are many other associations that serve writers in all genres, and help us develop skills and reach audiences with our words. What organizations do you find useful in your writing career? And why? Please leave a comment – and let’s form a micro-community by starting a conversation.
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[...] And I’ve won awards in all of them. On top of this I hold down a busy day-job, I’ve founded a professional association (PWAC-SK), and I’m a productive member of two writing groups and several [...]
When I started writing, it felt like I was one person against the world. But as I discovered other writers online, and then joined a few forums and a critique group. I realized there was a great community out there of writers all supporting and learning together! A few years back I joined SCBWI to make connections with writers on a local level and as I look back now, I see the irony that I didn’t connect with the writers around me first! I guess this goes to show that we are increasingly changing our definitions of what community means.
Happy writing,
Angela
Too true, Angela. I think your blog proves the value you place on community now. Thanks for helping to develop such a useful writer’s resource!
Writing is such a solitary activity. It’s great to be able to be solitary together.
Too true Dianne. And the writing retreat you’ve organized for regional children’s writers over the past few years really has given many of us a great opportunity to share our solitudes. Thanks! In solitary solidarity!
Marie, I so agree on the importance of writing organizations. I belong to the SK guild, the AB guild, the Writers Union, Alexandra Writers, and over the years have been part of many informal groups as well. For me, it’s the writing community at large that I value. I think community is essential to all artistic endeavour. Who better understands what we do than other writers, and what would we do without people who are there to both applaud and commiserate?
That’s a great point Betty Jane. I agree. I’ve also found that belonging to “writerly” groups and organizations has helped me meet like-minded people, and those relationships are so important to the practice of writing.