The Benefit of Writing Groups

 

For quite a few years (I can’t remember how many) I’ve been part of a small picture book group, four picture book writers and one picture book illustrator. We are friends and colleagues and a support group on all things books and most things life. We met yesterday and caught up on our recent news, enjoyed lunch and each other’s company and went over several manuscripts in minute detail.

I am also a member of another precious group of writers for children which has been alive for longer than I care to remember but over the years I believe we have all grown as writers and creators but our support and caring for each other has grown much more than the writing side.

And going right back to when I first began writing for children, I was part of an early writing for children group when we first left our course at Box Hill TAFE. Although this group does not meet regularly to discuss our work, we remain friends and remain committed to the world of books for children and it will always be our passion.

On my bookshelf sit books written, illustrated or published by all of these people and I treasure them as well as the ones I have of fellow writers and illustrators.

We do what we do because we love it and the greatest pleasure of all is finally reading that story, the one that has been work-shopped, rewritten, redrafted, reshaped and tears spilled all over it, out loud to those wide-eyed children who are our audience.