Young Writers Society

Correction to the poll question: Answer the second question if there is no youth writing gruop in your community.

Writing clubs like YWS are great, but what about programs for teens in local libraries? I am currently doing research for a proposal for a youth writing group at the local library and would love it if you guys could help.

I'd like to know your thoughts on the usefulness of writing/book clubs. If you could answer as many of these as possible, I will be forever grateful.

Why are writing clubs helpful?
What do you like about them?
How have your improved in your writing skills since joining YWS?
In general, how do you think you have bennefitted by being a member of YWS?
What other on-line writing groups are you involved in?
Are you involved in any non-internet-based writing programs in your community?

Would you attend one if it was avaible at a community centre or library?

Maybe. We do have a youth writing club of sorts -- or, we did (I'm not sure if it's still around); I went to the first meeting, and it was brutal. Crappy location, minimal interaction (this was partially the fault of the participants as well as the organizers), way too long and eye-gougingly dull.

Having said that, we do have a series of writing workshops annually. The people who lead them are charismatic (or at least, know how to properly work a writing group), the activities are interesting, and (because of the extensive promtional work beforehand) there are enough people to keep the creative atmosphere pumping. If the writing club resembled the workshops, I'd probably (definitely?) go. (It was the first meeting of the writing club, so maybe I'm being overly critical, but three hours every two weeks? Eh, I'd rather not.)


As for all the other questions ...

Why are writing clubs helpful?

Depends. Online writing groups tend to allow for huge writing improvement (for TYWC, it was the storybooks). Discussions on aspects of writing are awesome for their sheer geek factor. Critiquing other people's work tends to improve your ability to edit/write/articulate, and in the right kind of places, you can get extensive, helpful feedback on your work. Plus, it's fun meeting other writers. (Ditto for RL writing groups -- although, only one meeting makes for meager knowledge. I guess it's kind of an unfair judgement, because it was their first meeting and they were still working out the problems, but I have absolutely no patience. Plus, too much of a hassle getting there. And it really was a crappy location.)

But, again, it depends. The Nanowrimo forums (which could loosely qualify as a writing "club") are helpful in very different ways than, say, TYWC. Which in turn is different from small-membership forums or Livejournal communities.


What do you like about them?

That they're helpful (and how they're helpful -- see lengthy spiel above).


How have your improved in your writing skills since joining YWS?

Well, since I've technically been here for less than a week, it's kind of hard to tell.


In general, how do you think you have bennefitted by being a member of YWS?

Ditto.


What other on-line writing groups are you involved in?

Lots. (Lots and lots.) Nanowrimo, TYWC (once upon a time, anyway), YWS, and something like half a dozen smaller forums and livejournal communities. (The word "involved" is used loosely here, because me + involvement = don't mix well, or for a long period of time.)


Are you involved in any non-internet-based writing programs in your community?

Define "writing programs" --- do magazines/newspapers/insert-literary-medium-of-choice-here count? Do they have to be formal programs? And do annual workshops count? What about writing courses?

If they can be informal/courses/annual/magazine-literary-ish, then yes. If not, then no.

Er... you ask two different questions in the poll, both of which have different answers for me. So, rather than confusing you completely, I'll answer both questions and the rest... combined!

Are you involved in a youth writing group in your community?

I don't think there is one, though I would so be involved if there was... I've thought up starting my own, but I'm way too lazy for that stuff.

Would you attend one if it was avaible at a community centre or library?

Yes. Well... it depends if the library is walking distance away. I think transportation is the main problem here... that's why the internet is so awesome.

Why are writing clubs helpful?

Because they get you to write. Too often, young people are taught that writing is a boring subject where grammar is evil and compositions are the only forms of writing. This general notion is false. My best friend hated to write. I asked her why. Her answer? "Oh... I don't like the worksheets." Now, she liked to type, which was basically creative writing.

Writing clubs end up being a supportive group because you get to share your time with people who have the same interests as you and you can bounce off each other with ideas, etc. They get you to write, and sometimes they can help motivate you. Writing clubs are extremely awesome... I probably wouldn't write like I do now without writing clubs.

What do you like about them?

Supportive group which shares my own interests and keeps my mind actively engaged in things other than solitaire. I know... sounds silly, but it's true...

How have your improved in your writing skills since joining YWS?

Well... seeing as I joined TYWC before YWS, I say that TYWC has most of the credit with my writing development. Even so, YWS is where I began experimenting with reading and writing poetry. I used to hate poetry before, but now I like it.

In general, how do you think you have bennefitted by being a member of YWS?

I'm not quite sure... It's nice hanging around you guys and all... er... yeah.

Moving on!

What other on-line writing groups are you involved in?

TYWC and Flax. And, if you count it, TTAC, but that doesn't really count...

Are you involved in any non-internet-based writing programs in your community?

Sadly? No. Maybe soon...

Are you involved in a youth writing group in your community? No. As far as I know, there isn't one.

Would you attend one if it was avaible at a community centre or library? Possibly. It would depend a great deal on how I intereacted with the other people in the group and whether it was easy for me to get to on a regular basis. It would also depend on whether the other people in the group were as serious about writing as I am. I've had bad experiences with other friends who "like" writing, but don't put in half the time or effort (or heart, for that matter) as I do.

Why are writing clubs helpful? Well, in a perfect world, writing clubs are a sort of support group and a way to interact with other writers and you learn from them while they also learn from you. There a few groups that manage to do this and are extremely helpful. But depending on just how much the writing group accomplishes through its members, it can prove extremely unhelpful.

What do you like about them? The encouragement they give and the sharing of ideas.

How have you improved in your writing skills since joining YWS? I've improved a great deal. I do a lot better job of including description and I've come to recognize more when my sentences sound awkward.

In general, how do you think you have bennefitted by being a member of YWS? Absolutely.

What other on-line writing groups are you involved in? There's a couple of other forums that I go and check through every once in a while, but that's mostly just to see what other people are working on. I rarely give critiques there because more often then not I get my head snapped off for trying to help them improve and I don't generally spend a great deal of time talking with the other members. The YWS is the best I've been able to find and I like it here.

Are you involved in any non-internet-based writing programs in your community? No. I used to have a group of friends that we'd pass our work around and talk and stuff on a regular basis, but that fell apart when some of them started getting a little touchy about comments that they were recieving.

I sort of miss those days and I'd love to get involved with a group again, but I don't even know where to begin in searching for a group like that.

Why are writing clubs helpful?
So you can improve on your writing and not feel like you're the only one who enjoys writing.

What do you like about them?

YOu can get some peer interaction/feedback.
How have your improved in your writing skills since joining YWS?

I'm not really sure...I think I spent way too much time in the Randomness forum.

In general, how do you think you have bennefitted by being a member of YWS?

I've gotten some critiques on my work and made some friends.
What other on-line writing groups are you involved in?

Technically writing.com, but I hardly ever go there anymore.

Are you involved in any non-internet-based writing programs in your community?

I was in the writing club at my school, but it focused way too much on the poetry slam group, even though they're supposedly two separate groups. I think the original structure broke down a few years ago. I might do the poetry slam thing eventually.

1. Why are writing clubs helpful?

They are helpful because it gives people writing practice and more importantly, a way to better express themselves through writing.

2. What do you like about them?

The community behind writing clubs like YWS are very strong, which is a plus. Even if I'm not writing a full scale novel, I can still have fun writing with other people, who judge me on my work. There is also a small competitive aspect to it, but that's not why I come here. I come here to write.

3. How have your improved in your writing skills since joining YWS?

I have improved a little bit. I had most of my basic spelling and grammar down before joining though.

4. In general, how do you think you have bennefitted by being a member of YWS?

I've benefitted mostly from the huge amount of experience here. Being a writer/reviewer offers me valuable insight on my own work, while reinforcing and adding on to what I know. I'm not sure how to measure this value.

5. What other on-line writing groups are you involved in?

I came from TYWC originally and belong to several writing forums that kind of branched off, but YWS is the only one I'm really active in now.

6. Are you involved in any non-internet-based writing programs in your community?

No. Unless you count college essays.