Virtual Writers Meetup

Welcome to the Virtual Writers Meetup (formerly Pittsburgh Writers Meetup)

This is a group for writers of all styles and all experience levels. Whether you're just testing the waters to see if writing is something you'll enjoy, or you've been writing and publishing your work for decades, you may find something here for you.

Why Should You Join This Meetup?

Many people say they want to write, in the same way that they might say they want to lose weight or become fit or learn a language. What this usually means is that they "want to have written." Why don't we write? (Or write more, or more often?) Or if we do write, why is it so hard? Why is it so difficult to get published?

That's what this meetup is about: let's try to become more successful as writers.

What does being a successful writer mean? My definition is this:

• writing becomes fun (something we want to do, not something we want to have done)

• we improve as writers

• we find a community of interesting people who can help us become better and more productive writers

Format:

At least until the coronavirus pandemic has cleared up to the point where we feel safe, all of the meetings will be virtual. Even then, we may have a mix of in-person and virtual meetings, depending on how things go.

One reason why people don't attend meetings (even if they sign up to attend them) is that the meetings are just inconvenient. They sounded like a good idea when we signed up, but when the time for the meeting approaches we realize that we have something more important to do, or we're tired, or we just can't face a drive across town (not an issue with virtual meetings), or we're not feeling well, or the moon is full and we're turning into a werewolf (don't you just hate that?).

So, at least while we're trying to get this meetup going again, here's what I'd like to try:

(1) keep the meetings short (an hour or an hour and a half)

(2) have an agenda, so we know what we're getting ourselves into

(3) limit how much people have to do

Code of Conduct:

Rather than invent one of our own, we'll use this code of conduct from TED.

Please read that code of conduct, and report any violations to one of the organizers of this meetup.

Meetup Goal:

I'm hoping that we can work together to make this meetup into one that you will enjoy and (occasionally, at least) be able to attend.