Community
Edition 22
Hello lovelies!
It’s been a while since I’ve been in touch. But thank you for choosing to spend a few moments with me.
In early January and again last week I had the opportunity to teach writing workshops in Albany and Bunbury. No, not every day, but more frequently than I usually do. The sessions ranged from Start Writing Your Memoir to Nature Writing and Getting Started in Creative Writing to workshops I designed for the Museum of the Great Southern for a writing competition, and I loved every single session!
It is such a privilege to work with people who want to express themselves. It’s a buzz to enable other’s creativity, and to witness their joy or satisfaction in being able to get something down on paper, whether it’s a memory, a story that wanted to be told, or learning how to rework their writing so that it sparkles.
I can tell you this is so much more fulfilling than trying to teach Science to year 9s!
I particularly enjoy series of workshops, either on consecutive days like at the Albany Summer School, or over consecutive weeks like at Glyde In, where I witness trust building between attendees and the care they quickly develop for each other.
This is why I encourage attendees to find a writers’ group. That said, not every group suits every writer. Last week I had the opportunity to participate in a group I’d previously attended in Mt Barker. This beautiful group creates a safe haven for writers, some of whom struggled to write a paragraph when they first attended, who have grown into confident writers now. It was lovely to attend at a time when they are busy putting together a themed anthology of their works which they’re publishing later this year.
Groups vary in what they do but are likely to do some or all of:
Providing an opportunity for an accountability check in: what have members managed to get done since the last time they met?
Setting ‘homework’ which encourages members to write and be accountable.
Providing an opportunity to read work to the group.
Providing and receiving feedback. This does not need to be scary. One group I am a member of has a traffic light system for feedback where the writer chooses what sort of feedback they want, suitable for the stage that their writing it is at. ie Green feedback if it’s first draft and the writer wants light critiquing around plot or other big picture concepts. Amber is moderate feedback. And red is for work that is close to a final draft and the writer wants ‘any and all feedback’. It also helps to ask specific questions. eg Does the plot work? Should I remove the last paragraph from my short story?
Presentations on the craft of writing by members or guests.
Time to write.
I suggest trying out one or more writers’ groups to see if they are a good fit. And if you can’t find a suitable one, start your own. Do this by connecting with one or more writers, either on-line or face-to-face. Libraries are a great place to meet, but so are cafes or CRCs. Even if you begin with only one other person, if you meet consistently, you might find others want to join. Or you might be happy with one writing buddy.
If you start your own writing group, you can choose how frequently you meet and which activities you want to include.
Some writers groups I know of:
Albany
Albany-Kinjarling Creative Writers Group - meets fortnightly 11 am -1 pm on Thursdays at Albany Library. Coordinator: Roger Guinery. Contact the library or email Roger at rogerguinery@hotmail.com
Writing History - for those interested in writing memoirs, biographies or non-fiction - meets fortnightly 2 - 4 pm on Mondays at Albany Library. Co-ordinator: Glen McLaren. Check the library website for dates.
King River Writers Group - writing short stories and poetry - meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 1pm at the King River Hall. Contact Sue Buckingham: 0417 990 673 or holidaysue@bigpond.com.
Mt Barker
Meets weekly on Thursdays 1 - 4 pm at the Community Resource Centre.
Denmark
Denmark Write People - a casual creative writing group - meets on the first Tuesday of the month, February-December, at the Community Resource Centre in Denmark, 5.30 - 7 pm. Contact John at beeson.john@yahoo.com.au
Pen and Possibility: Creative writing studio located in the heart of Denmark offering online and in person workshops and opportunities. https://penandpossibility.com.au/
Perth
The Society of Women’s Writers has many writing activities each year but also has Writers’ Circles for members living in isolated areas or who cannot attend meetings or classes. The aim of a Writers’ Circle is to extend encouragement and assistance, to help develop writing skills or sometimes simply to be a reason to write and operate by mail or email. More information: https://www.swwofwa.au/writers-circles.html
Fremantle
A group meets at Spearwood Library on 2nd and 4th Wednesdays, 1 - 3pm. Contact the library for more information.
More…
Writing WA, and the peak writing bodies in each state, also have contact details of groups: https://www.writingwa.org/for-writers/find-your-people/
Opportunities
Write 12 stories or poems in 12 months. I may have previously mentioned this, but I think this is great! It’s not a competition but a challenge. You receive a prompt, wordcount and deadline. After submitting on the deadline day, you are encouraged to comment on four other people’s submissions. In truth, I don’t find the feedback very helpful, as it is generally positive and usually not very instructive. However, I do find the deadlines great and as a result, I’ve got a short story a month written since June 2025. Find out more here: https://deadlinesforwriters.com/
Would you like one of your very short stories to be available to a wider public? Check out this Writing WA initiative: https://www.rainesquare.com.au/discover/news/news-details/2024/06/07/short-story-station
Current open competitions:
https://visit.museum.wa.gov.au/greatsouthern/whats-on 200 years… 200 words; closes 6 March
https://www.historicalbany.com.au/writingcompetition; closes 30 September 2026; prizes: First Place: $1000, Second Place: $500, $250, plus tickets to the Bicentenary Grand Ball. Theme: Celebrate 2026: A Journey to 200 Years; between 3,000 and 6,500 words.
If you want to find out about other competitions, Writing NSW (NSW’s peak wrriting organisation) sends out a weekly online magazine which includes opportunities. Sign up on their website: https://writingnsw.org.au/.
Happy writing!
Rosemary