Update

During our last meeting Westside Writers decided to change our format. We are no longer a critique group and won't be accepting new members at any time in the foreseeable future. However, if we hear of openings for other writing groups on the western end of the Portland (Oregon) metro area, we'll post them here. Happy writing!

Beaverton Writers' Group

Sunday, October 12, 2:00 PM?-?3:00 PM Please join us at the Beaverton City Library's writer's group. We envision this group as a forum where writers can present their work to a friendly, supportive community of fellow writers. For more info, please contact Jim Edgington at 503-350-3614 or jedgington@beavertonoregon.gov

New Writing Group at Beaverton Library

The Beaverton City Library is starting a writer's group. We envision this group as a forum where writers can present their work to a friendly, supportive community of fellow writers. We will hold an introductory meeting on Sunday, May 11th at 2PM in the Administrative Conference Room on the second floor of the library.

See the library website for more information.

update: For more info, please contact Jim Edgington at 503-350-3614 or jedgington@beavertonoregon.gov

Forest Grove Writing Group Forms

Westside Writers welcomes Washington County's newest writing group!

New Evening Writer’s Group Forming in Forest Grove

Forest Grove, OR. – C.J. Stuart will gather local writers at McMenamin’s Grand Lodge (3505 Pacific Ave.) at the main restaurant on May 29th at 6:45 p.m. We will continue to meet on the second and fourth Thursdays. There are no genre restrictions. At the first meeting we will introduce ourselves and discuss the main goals of the group.

Washington County Writer’s Mission is to provide an evening venue for adult writers that already have a novel or short story in progress. We want to share constructive critiques and motivational support for each other while building our skills and having fun. A good fit with one another is essential since decisions will be made by consensus.

Membership is limited therefore an application process of submitting an email of 500-1000 words is required. This is your chance to showcases your skills. Please also include your writing goals. Upon invitation attend the meeting. (Future meeting times and places are subject to change depending on the needs of the group.) 

We reserve the right to ask any member to leave if the group determines they are not a good fit. Writing can be a lonely road and we want to ensure everyone in the group gets to share and give feedback in a supportive environment.

C.J. Stuart has published poems and several articles and has been a member of various writers’ groups in the Northwest for many years. Her background is in art and anthropology.

For more information, email C.J. Stuart at washingtoncountywriters@yahoo.com

Parallel Play at Hillsboro Library 25 March

Parallel Play is a writers' group opportunity for adult writers to practice and share. The group meets every other month, on the 4th Sunday of that month, from 2 to 4 p.m. 2012 schedule: Jan.22, Mar. 25, May 27, July 22, Sept. 23, and Nov. 25. Each group will begin with a writing prompt; from 2 to 3, writers will respond to the prompt; from 3 to 4, people may share their writing and receive feedback. Sharing and verbal feedback is optional.

Registration is not required and drop-ins are OK. For more information about the writers' group, contact Hillary Ostlund, Reference Librarian, at hillaryo@ci.hillsboro.or.us or 503-615-2482.

http://www.hillsboro.plinkit.org/research-rec/adult-programs/new-parallel-play-writers-group.html

Northwest Independent Writers Association forges a new path to getting published

New Creative Non-fiction Group

From Insomnia Coffee Co's Facebook post:

For all you creative non-fiction writers out there, we are accommodating a new writers group on THURSDAY nights, 7-8:30pm, at our Baseline location...for more info, check out our Community Board at Baseline. Now be creative and WRITE!

Insomnia Coffee Co
5389 W. Baseline Rd
Hillsboro, OR 97123
503.601.4314

An Open Invitation

Do you run or are you a member of another writing, critique, or marketing group located in Washington County, Oregon? If so, please leave a comment so we can add you to our list of other local groups. We know finding the right group can be a challenge and are happy to help!

Also, are there any writing events in Forest Grove, Hillsboro, Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin or the other communities in the county? It sure would be fun to go to some readings of other local author's work and support our fellow Washington County writers!

Writing vs Critique vs Marketing Groups

In reading up about successful writing groups, I've learned that there is a definite difference between a writing group and a critique group though often these two phrases are used interchangeably by newer writers. First some definitions:

Writing Group -- Think of this as a support group for writers. Members might be new to the field or new to a genre. Or they may have been writing for years. However, these groups focus more on actually writing and may spend part of their meetings writing as a group, and yes, this can mean everyone contributing to a single piece of work as well as everyone working on their own work in communion with their fellow writers. Sharing of work happens but generally comments are of a supportive nature (what works) and seek to spur the writer on and nurture the muses. For some these groups can be an antidote to the "lonely life of a writer."

Critique Group -- Again, while experience may vary from starting out to already published, members of these groups tend to be interested in making their work better. They regularly submit their work to the group for comments with the hope that the work will not only be praised, but that members will point out issues and areas needing improvement. A good group will stay focused on improving the author's story by looking at plot, scene, voice, character, flow, and maybe even some punctuation, grammar, and spelling.

Marketing Group -- Sometimes called a Networking Group, these groups are focused on pooling information and resources to help writers send queries or make a piece more marketable. Members share leads on agents, contests, and publishers. But probably most helpful is supporting each other as rejection letters arrive or, better yet, responding to revision letters. And with the increase in self-publishing, these groups will grow increasingly important since writers will have be their own marketing department.

Each group serves a different purpose and like much in the world, actual groups do not adhere rigidly to any given category. Some members may be looking more for support while others critique. As groups work together for months and years, some members may be wrapping up a project and preparing to shop it around while others are still trying to work the kinks out of a novel or play.

No group is categorically better than another -- they serve different purposes. The key is finding the right group for you and your writing needs.

So what kind of group is Westside Writers?

Westside Writers is a critique group with a bit of support thrown in for good measure. In time, we'll probably talk more about marketing, but currently members are still working on making projects better. We are a fiction group though members work in a number of genres. Some are writing novels; some, short stories; but all have novels planned for the future.

The bulk of our meetings is spent on critiquing each others work, but we always check in to see how the stories are progressing. We also share information about helpful websites, conferences, and books we've come across.

However the key ingredient is that Westside Writers is all about helping an author improve the piece being discussed using positive suggestions. But at the end of the day, we recognize that the author has final say on what changes are made to the work.