What we’re about
INTRO
The Greater Phoenix Writing Group is a safe place where adults can write fiction, poetry, or draw** for any genre, age, or reading level. This group is a place to explore your craft without the fear of critique. If you desire to write, and try to write, then you are a writer, regardless of your education, training, background, ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic status.
**(from above) You might choose to write and/or draw in response to the prompt, if your writing is for a younger reading level or for a graphic novel style.
THE PROMPT, WRITING, and READ ALOUD
In this writing group, a writing prompt is provided. Participants can use the prompt, but they don’t have to. Participants write during the group itself, and only what is written during the group can be read aloud. Participants are invited to read their writing aloud, but are not required to do so.
POSITIVE FEEDBACK, ON THE WRITING, NOT THE WRITER
Only positive feedback is given. Participants do their best to provide feedback on the writing itself instead of the writer. This helps to keep the writer safe. One way to do this is trying to avoid using the word “you”. Examples of referring to the writing itself could be similar to the following comments:
“I really like the curiosity I felt about the main character and what she was going to do next.”
“I wrote down some of the alliterations I heard in the poem, such as______ The alliterations sped things up for me when the narrator seemed to be anxious and catastrophizing. I almost felt as though my heart rate were increasing during those alliterations”
“I felt really frustrated at first that Mary and Joanna kept misunderstanding each other, but then I realized that they are so different from each other, so of course they wouldn’t understand each other. So then, I really liked them as characters, even though I still felt so frustrated that they couldn’t figure each other out!”
“I think the corn in the poem was a symbol for something bigger, like_______. That’s how it struck me. Anyway, that corn symbol kept me thinking the whole time about how important ______ is in life.”
“I love the sketch of the griffin. I didn’t even know what a griffin looks like. And, the narrowness of the eyebrows gave it a fierce look, which felt so connected to when the boy hid in the bushes.”
In the examples above, the writer is never referred to, only the writing. This helps to keep the writer safe.
CREATING A SAFE SPACE
In this writing group, the facilitator is not the expert. No one’s writing is treated as more or less important than another writer. The facilitator writes along with every other participant.
Confidentiality is practiced in this group, and none of what is heard in the group is shared with anyone outside the group. All writing is treated as fiction, even if it seems to be a personal memoir. There are a number of reasons that treating all writing as fiction keeps the writer and the group safe.
Try to warn the group if any writing contains any difficult passages that include rapes, assaults, or anything triggering.
FINAL NOTES
The Greater Phoenix Writing Group is about entering the fictional world of other writers, providing positive feedback, and refraining from critique. There are other writing groups which offer suggestions for improvement, which is important. This particular group is trying to accomplish something different, which is a place to write with total freedom. The refrain from critique allows writers and listeners to connect with each other in a unique way.
Upcoming events (2)
See all- Greater Phoenix Writing Group (In-Person Meeting)Needs location
PREFACE
Hello Everyone! This event is located in the Starbucks Community Room at 19th Ave & Glendale Ave in Phoenix (1970 W Glendale Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85021). Attendance for this eight seat event requires reservation here on Meetup.com Please reserve a seat only if certain to attend. Finally, Starbucks asks participants to purchase at least one item while participating in this group in their Community Room.INTRO
The Greater Phoenix Writing Group is a safe place where adults can write fiction, poetry, or draw* for any genre, age, or reading level. This group is a place to explore your craft without the fear of critique. If you desire to write, and try to write, then you are a writer, regardless of your education, training, background, ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic status.
*You might choose to write and/or draw in response to the prompt, if your writing is for a younger reading level or for a graphic novel style.THE PROMPT, WRITING, and READ ALOUD
In this writing group, a writing prompt is provided. Participants can use the prompt, but they don’t have to. Participants write during the group itself, and only what is written during the group can be read aloud. Participants are invited to read their writing aloud, but are not required to do so.POSITIVE FEEDBACK, ON THE WRITING, NOT THE WRITER
Only positive feedback is given. Participants do their best to provide feedback on the writing itself instead of the writer. This helps to keep the writer safe. One way to do this is trying to avoid using the word “you”.Examples of referring to the writing itself could be similar to the following comments:
- “I really like the curiosity I felt about the main character and what she was going to do next.”
- “I wrote down some of the alliterations I heard in the poem, such as______ The alliterations sped things up for me when the narrator seemed to be anxious and catastrophizing. I almost felt as though my heart rate were increasing during those alliterations”
- “I felt really frustrated at first that Mary and Joanna kept misunderstanding each other, but then I realized that they are so different from each other, so of course they wouldn’t understand each other. So then, I really liked them as characters, even though I still felt so frustrated that they couldn’t figure each other out!”
- “I think the corn in the poem was a symbol for something bigger, like_______. That’s how it struck me. Anyway, that corn symbol kept me thinking the whole time about how important ______ is in life.”
- “I love the sketch of the griffin. I didn’t even know what a griffin looks like. And, the narrowness of the eyebrows gave it a fierce look, which felt so connected to when the boy hid in the bushes.”
In the examples above, the writer is never referred to, only the writing. This helps to keep the writer safe.
CREATING A SAFE SPACE
In this writing group, the facilitator is not the expert. No one’s writing is treated as more or less important than another writer. The facilitator writes along with every other participant.Confidentiality is practiced in this group, and none of what is heard in the group is shared with anyone outside the group. All writing is treated as fiction, even if it might be a personal memoir. There are a number of reasons that treating all writing as fiction keeps the writer and the group safe.
Try to warn the group if any writing contains any difficult passages that include rapes, assaults, or anything triggering.
FINAL NOTES
The Greater Phoenix Writing Group is about entering the fictional world of other writers, providing positive feedback, and refraining from critique. There are other writing groups which offer suggestions for improvement, which is important. This particular group is trying to accomplish something different, which is a place to write with total freedom. The refrain from critique allows writers and listeners to connect with each other in a unique way.
