It was with some hesitation that I volunteered to take over for the St. Pete Writers Group in January 2015. Observing other leaders fearlessly advance their Florida Writers Association Writers Groups with clever ideas, a seemingly endless resource of quality speakers, and high meeting turnouts made me wonder if I was cut out to be a Writers Group Leader. As a critique group leader, it’s a different set of challenges, but a fairly simple process. In my mind, nothing compared to the big job of WGL.
Despite my initial low levels of confidence, I plunged forward and accepted the position. I’m here to share that it’s not as difficult or scary as I thought it would be. The leader who stepped down had lined up some of the future meetings, and that made the transition quite smooth. My first meeting in February was a casual, open mic night. While the turnout was modest (only one member and six non-members), we had an inspiring and productive time.
Writers faced their fears and read their work aloud. The audience provided positive and constructive criticism. The smaller group allowed for longer reading times, giving us a chance to really grasp the voice and themes of each piece.
When I think about how much courage it takes a writer to stand in front of their peers and expose their soul in the form of their own written words, I realize how little I had to fear in my new position. So many people within FWA have been gracious and helpful to me as I sought advice on how to run the group and how to find any information I needed. I even discovered that I had something to bring to the role. I’m a blogger at St. Pete Running Company, and I’ve been able to get the St. Pete FWA Blog up and running again after a long hiatus.
For anyone considering filling a Writers Group Leader vacancy, my advice is take the plunge! One of the best aspects is the flexibility. I’m following in the footsteps of my predecessors by finding speakers for the monthly meetings in St. Pete. The topics can range from the writing process to publishing to social media and marketing to topics like journaling, travel writing, writing down dreams—virtually anything writing-related. Other groups around the state have speakers as well, but some have critique meetings or open discussion forums. Many people within FWA can answer your questions, direct your steps, and provide encouragement. The open mic night was a way to fill the vacancy where no speaker was available, and it worked out wonderfully. I’m so glad I volunteered, because now I can give back to a group that has given me so much.
