Shore area has the write stuff
Writers’ groups offer camaraderie and
tricks of the trade
An anonymous writer once urged people to "write something, even if it is a suicide note." It seems that many people have taken this advice to heart, though thankfully not the suicide note part. There is no shortage of people writing everything from memoir to mystery, short stories to full-length novels.
And supportive writing groups abound. For example, the Eastern Branch of the Monmouth County Library in Shrewsbury hosts a monthly writers group as well as workshops geared toward specific genres.
Recently the library sponsored a Romance Writers Workshop with four New Jersey romance writers on hand to sign their books and discuss the process of writing a romance novel. Topics included: "What’s a Nice Feminist Like You Doing Writing Romance Novels?" and "Electronic Publishing: Romantic Suspense in Cyberspace."
The Monmouth Writers Guild also meets at the Shrewsbury branch of the county library. This independent group has been in existence for about 12 years and has been meeting monthly at the library for most of that time.
Last week, the group held a writers conference at the library. According to Linda Kravitz, one of the group’s founders, New York City author Don Shea, who has published a number of short stories and has written a short story collection, critiqued manuscripts sent to him in advance of the workshop.
"It was excellent to have someone from outside of the group critiquing our work. He was very detailed," Kravitz noted.
Kravitz is a full-time fiction writer. She has been published in several literary journals, including Chiricu, published by Indiana University; Americus Review, published at the University of Houston; the Maryland Review, published by the University of Maryland; and Rosebud, a private literary journal, which is sold at Barnes & Noble stores.
"I have also finished the first draft of a novel that takes place in the Philippines and in this country," Kravitz said.
Kravitz has taught fiction writing at Brookdale Community College, Lincroft. She says she likes being part of a writers group because "writing is a lonely occupation and we need to relate to other people. We get feedback and remind each other of what good writing is all about."
Sandra Bainton, an Aberdeen writer and member of the guild, agrees that sitting alone and writing is difficult. "The members of the writing group keep each other going."
Bainton also is a published author. She has had a short story accepted for publication by a literary magazine called Medicinal Purpose, and next week a short story of hers, "A Match Made in McDonald’s," will be in Woman’s World Magazine, a general interest magazine sold at supermarkets.
Bainton said that the writers’ group played an important part in getting her published. "It’s largely due to them and their encouragement. It takes an awful lot of patience, even after acceptance. The process takes six months to a year."
Kravitz feels that the group isn’t just about encouragement, it also is about honing skills, developing craft and growing as a writer. Part of their meetings are spent reading contemporary published works and analyzing them for technique.
"We also do exercises where we imitate other authors. Imitation is legitimate," Kravitz explained. "Hemingway imitated Sherwood Anderson, and Michael Cunningham just won a Pulitzer Prize for his novel, The Hours, where he imitated Virginia Woolf."
Kravitz said they also do an exercise called fast sudden fiction. "It’s writing a complete story in a flash. A lot of good writing comes out of that. You can always rewrite."
There are 15-20 writers in the group, and they are accepting new members. The writers are working in several genres and most have not been published. Bruce Ferguson, like most members of the guild, works full time and writes whenever he can find the time. He joined the guild eight months ago and finds it very helpful, but he has not published any of his fiction yet.
"It’s good to have a lot of people critiquing your work," Ferguson said. "But I also find it helpful to critique other writers’ work. I’ve learned a lot about editing my own work from editing other people’s writing."
The Monmouth Writers Guild is a member of the Monmouth County Arts Council. "We incorporated on Oct. 3 as the Monmouth Writers Guild, so that we can apply for grants. We are planning to put out a literary journal," Kravitz said.
Volunteer Jean Ruscica runs a writers group at the Red Bank YMCA on Maple Avenue.
The YMCA writers’ group meets on the first Monday of the month, although in January the group will be meeting on Wednesdays between 10 a.m. and noon.
"The writing group is very much like Brookdale’s," Ruscica said. "People don’t have to come every month and they don’t have to belong to the Y."
Brookdale Community College’s writing group, called Writers’ Block, is open to the public and to all ages, but it is made up of mostly senior citizens and is held on Friday mornings between 10 a.m. and noon at the writing lab in Larrison Hall, parking lot 2.
Kathy Hammond, who facilitates the group, said she gives them a topic and they just write. "It’s really a writing practice. We don’t usually critique, but if someone wants to bring in a piece they are working on, we will look at it.
"We do critique each person’s writing for that morning."
There are about 20 people in the class. "Now is a good time for new people to come. A lot of retired people go away for weeks at a time," Hammond said.
Ruscica’s YMCA group is based on the same formula: a topic for discussion, writing and reading. "People are not obliged to read their work, but most do. The writings often take the form of memoir, fantasy or essay.
Ruscica, who also runs a reading group, said, "The very special thing about these groups is the camaraderie. Both grew out of a water exercise class at the Y. The women in the class have become friends. We call ourselves The Blue Belles, because the weights that we use are blue.
"There are about 27 Belles," she added. "We keep in touch with each other even if someone moves away. We have grown to care about each other. It’s much more than a reading or writing group."
But, Ruscica added, the groups are open to everyone, not just women. "We have men who come, but the time is not good for everyone. We’re trying to get as much age diversity as possible, but it’s hard for people who work."
For many, writing is a way of making sense out of life. A good writer is basically a storyteller. Good storytelling is hard work, and getting published is a tremendous challenge. But here in the Shore area, writers don’t have to go into New York City to find support and encouragement.