❋ Writing Events in My Area
To find a writing retreat, meet-up, or organized event can be difficult. Start by searching in your own backyard. I live in Northeast Georgia in the United States. Writers near Cornelia, GA can participate in several local group writing events.
❋ NEGA Writers Club Meets the first Wednesday of the month (September through June) from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at the Downtown Gainesville Public Library (127 Main St NW, Gainesville, GA), features guest speakers and manuscript sharing❋ Spout Springs Writing GroupMeets regularly on Thursdays (10:00 AM to 12:00 PM) at the Hall County Library - Spout Springs Branch (6488 Spout Springs Rd, Flowery Branch, GA), perfect for focused work and local critique❋ NGLS Author SocialsHosted periodically by the Northeast Georgia Literary Society at local spots like Kelley’s Tavern in Gainesville, offering networking and shop talk for working writers, find full schedules on the Northeast Georgia Literary Society Calendar❋ Atlanta Writers ClubHosts regular virtual and in-person critique clubs, view their offerings on the Atlanta Writers Club Writing and Critique Clubs directoryAnywhere Writing Prompt! Here is a generic restaurant video to help you with writing from home without going out. Think about how you can utilize the restaurant ad video, for example, to draft a short story about a restaurant owner or patron—or waitress.
Creative Writing Weekend Schedule
Day OneSit and Think
As everyone in your mind arrives, all of your characters need to take time to settle in. Let them get comfortable, and begin connecting with those around you through writing. The journey starts here and the final destination is a creative story of any length.
Morning Pages9:00 – 9:30am
Writing Session11:00am
Lunch Break12:30pm
Arts and Crafts2:00pm
Dinner6:30pm
Day TwoDraft a Story
Time to get to work. Writing is now your job. You will receive payments from the Universe. That is all I know—yes, it works—for me and hopefully for you too. Payments in forms of food and a home and a family, by the way, which is all we need in this world.
Today Day Two calls for Deep Doodoo you all know what I am referring to. So there is a Deep Writing Session at 2 pm that could last for four hours. After that, you will be a real writer.
Check-In9:00 – 9:30am
Writing Session11:00am
Lunch Break12:30pm
Deep Writing2:00pm
Dinner6:30pm
Day ThreeEdit and Revise
Did you write six words, 500 words or 5,000 words yesterday? Whatever the word count, today is when you can revise as you see fit. Maybe the wording does not flow as well or the sound of the sentence needs some restructuring. This is the process of editing. You can edit any amount of words for as long as possible, but usually this is the easy work.
Check-In9:00 – 9:30am
Editing Session11:00am
Lunch Break12:30pm
Arts and Crafts2:00pm
Dinner6:30pm
Step-by-Step Writing Process
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The genre of your story—short or long—will determine everything from setting to tropes.
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It is outline or by the seat of your pants via stream-of-consciousness writing style. This part is easy—you have two options! Are you going to develop an outline first or just start writing words and sentences?
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Sorry but it is a journey. When you start writing you create—you invent—a new world and you are the sole inhabitant. Playing God, sure! However you feel about it, writing is power. Put that pen or pencil or crayon to the paper and write something today. Anything.
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Now you have a full story—no matter how long or short! Next it is up to you. Do you wait 24 hours to read the story again or wait 30 days? Once you reread the story, you will likely want to make some changes. This is called editing. It will truly make you feel like God.
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We are social creatures, this is why we write stories. Therefore, now is that time to shine with your newly polished tale. Submit the story to a journal, newspaper, magazine, or literary agent. Or share the story online on social media or print the saga and leave the message in free libraries!