The Owensboro Writers Group hopes to gain some momentum in 2023 by increasing membership and interest within the community.
The group — a collection of local writers that meet once a month at the Daviess County Public Library to discuss their works, learn about publishing and get other tips — is dedicated to educating and critiquing each other’s works and gaining different perspectives and viewpoints.
It also offers insight on helping writers create inquiry letters and holds discussions on how to self-publish works and find a writing agent.
The group was founded in the spring of 2008 by Theresa Jewel Pinkston and held meetings at the former Books-A-Million store and Shoney’s before making its home at the library.
Over the years, the group has included writers that home in on a variety of genres, from nonfiction to memoirs, with some members having published works.
Anna McDaniel, administrator of the group’s Facebook page, became involved with the group after the height of the pandemic.
“Right before the very first meeting when they resumed, I went looking for it to see if there was a local group here,” she said, “and I attended that very first meeting.”
McDaniel has been writing on and off throughout the years and got back into it as a tribute to her grandfather.
“He was always a big supporter of me,” she said.
Since then, McDaniel has self-published a number of works on Amazon.
Initially, McDaniel was a member of the group, then was editor for a time before the previous administrator of the group stepped down less than six months ago.
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Another member, who McDaniel called “the leader of the meetings,” left the group, which has now left McDaniel taking over the reins.
“We’ve been trying to find our footing,” she said, “and I’m learning how to be a leader.”
McDaniel is looking to find ways to keep the group going, particularly at its upcoming meeting at 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 7 in the library’s public lounge on the second floor.
“We’re going to discuss ideas (such as) feature stories or pieces that we’re going to write,” she said.
McDaniel has also been thinking of having an online version of the group so members can still interact and participate. Many members have not been able to attend the in-person meetings, causing attendance to drop.
McDaniel said the online platform would share information from the in-person meetings and members would be able to post their pieces, ask others to read pieces, ask for advice and have other types of discussions.
“...This is something that everybody could do,” she said, “... and try to include everybody.”
She also finds this can serve as a “back up” when in-person meetings are canceled due to inclement weather or other circumstances.
In-person meetings are typically at 9 a.m. on the first available Saturday of the month at DCPL, unless otherwise noted.
The group welcomes new members that are interested in joining. McDaniel can be reached through the Owensboro Writers Group’s Facebook page at facebook.com/OboroWriters or emailing anna.mcdaniel2011@gmail.com.
(1) comment
A local writing group looking to grow its membership is a great opportunity for writers in the community to come together and share their work, receive feedback, and connect with other writers. Joining a writing group can be incredibly beneficial for writers at all levels, from beginners to published authors. Not only does it provide a supportive community where writers can share their work and receive constructive criticism, but it also allows writers to learn from one another and gain new perspectives on their writing. It's important to note that a writing group is not only a place to share finished pieces, but also a place to get feedback on works in progress and also they can share different tools that assist in writings like https://fixgerald.com/ website which is one of the best tool when it comes on checking plagiarism. This can help writers to develop their skills, work through writer's block, and gain new inspiration.
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