A Group for Everyone…
What is a Writing Group?
It may sound a little intimidating, or it may sound very exciting, but a writing group is simply a group of writers (of various abilities and genre interests) who get together regularly to share their work and give and receive feedback and support. If you think you might be interested in a group, email one of the group leaders below by clicking on the leader’s name.
Current groups that are meeting in the SSI area
BEGINNERS (for all genres and all writers who want help getting started)
- Led by Scott Slechta
- Meets the 3rd Monday (1:00 pm) of the month
- Jittery Joe’s in Redfern Village
Facilitator’s Note: The Beginners Writing Group is here to help you get started. You may have a story, a poem, a memoir, or a tale that is in your brain. I will offer various methods, strategies, and techniques to help you craft your skill and build your ability to get your ideas down onto paper. We will explore many genres in this group. We will not only respond to various prompts for sharing with the group but we will also critique our works for feedback and input as you hone your writing. Please click on my name above to email me for more information.
FICTION (general)
- Led by Barbara Kruk (phone: 631-807-2183)
- Meets 3rd Wednesday of each month (9:30-11:30 am), subject to change to accommodate the needs of the group. Please check with group leader on next dates/times.
- Location (check with facilitator)
Facilitator’s Note: Welcome and Congratulations. You’ve made the first step into the realm of creative storytelling. Writing is a life long process, an exploration of experiences that you have lived and from what you have learned. We are here to help you navigate the nuances of your journey, with support and positive reinforcement of your vision. Join us as we embark on this adventure. We meet on the third Wednesday of each month, which is subject to change to accommodate the needs of the group, at 9:30 a.m. If you are ready to explore your inner author, click on my name which appears above. We hope to see you soon.
FICTION (general)
- Led by Ciera Smith
- Meets 1st Tuesday of each month (4:00 pm)
- Wake Up Coffee
Facilitator’s Note: The evening Fiction group is an encouraging and uplifting space for writers of all kinds of fiction to practice their craft in a community that truly cares about your success. Writing is spectacularly challenging as well as fulfilling, and our group is here to cheer you on every step of the way – from drafting to querying. We provide feedback on written work monthly on the first Tuesday of every month at 4:30 pm at Wake Up Coffee on SSI. Feel free to contact Ciera for any information or questions you may have.
NON-FICTION/MEMOIR
- Led by Michele Messina
- Meets 2nd Thursday of the month (10:00 am)
- Jittery Joe’s in Redfern Village
Facilitator’s Note: The Memoir/Nonfiction Writing Group is here to support and assist you on your writing journey. We provide a safe and welcoming space for both beginners and published writers who can expect respectful feedback that fosters a deeper understanding and improvement. Our meetings are held on the 2nd Thursday of every month at 10:00 am at Jittery Joe’s in Redfern Village. Please contact me by clicking on my name above.
CHILDRENS/YOUNG ADULT
- Led by Wilma Brookman
- Meets 1st Tuesday of the month at 1:00 pm
- Location: Jittery Joe’s in Redfern Village
Facilitator’s Note: The Children’s Book Writers group is a supportive community dedicated to creating, refining, and publishing books for young readers (picture books to young adult). Writers of all experience levels are welcome. We meet the first Tuesday of every month at 1:00 pm at Jittery Joe’s Coffee Shop in Redfern.
POETRY
- Led by David Blumenfeld
- Meeting time to be determined by participants
- Location: David’s home
Facilitator’s Note: Meetings will be held at my house (349 Ocean Blvd., St Simons Island). At our first meeting, we will set the schedule for the rest of the year. Please email me (click my name above) up to three pages of poetry, and I will forward your work to the other members. Once we have a full roster, we can each forward our pieces to the group. I’m excited to meet all of you and look forward to our meetings.
DEVOTIONAL/SPIRITUAL
- Led by Chris Myers
- Meets 1st Friday each Month at 11:00 am
- Location: Jittery Joe’s in Redfern Village
Facilitator’s Note: The Devotional/Spiritual writing group is here to encourage our
spiritual journey through writing. Our vision, passion, and unique journey in writing devotions, journals, or other formats are supported and encouraged. We share and offer feedback to hone our skills using the practical and powerful words we’re given to inspire. Please click on my name to get in touch.
Why Join a Writing Group?
by Claudia Collins Mullins (SSIWS member)
Enjoy writing? Simply for your own enjoyment or possibly dream of one day being a published author? Hesitant about exposing your thoughts and ideas to others? Once upon a time over a year ago, I was sitting where you are today. Then I took a step. I joined a group through the SSI Writers Society after attending a meet and greet. I went mainly because the location was somewhere I had always wanted to visit. I met the nicest group of people, all with the shared interest of improving their skill of storytelling.
The first small group gathering was definitely a step out of my comfort zone. However, I asked if I could just come and observe, get to know the other members, and decide if I was comfortable with the process of peer review. It was a revelation how positive the feedback was, even when questioning grammar, syntax, plot development, and characterizations. A couple of months under my belt, I submitted my first article, welcomed the well-intentioned feedback, and continue to enjoy our monthly gathering immensely. My group has published authors, authors still waiting to be published, and writers whose work is for their own enjoyment. We have novelists, short story authors, and article authors. Currently the writing topics include a futuristic fantasy; a coming of age story; an intriguing plot exploring segregation and the Vietnam War; a murder on Long Island, NY; a broken engagement in Asheville, NC; a ghost in Charleston; and a travel log.
If you enjoy putting words on paper, I encourage you to consider joining the SSI Writers Society.
It has certainly enriched my life. It will enrich yours too.
SSIWS 