From "Them" to "Me Too:" How Writing Groups Can Bring out the Writer in Us

So many writers hide their light under a bushel, thinking they don't deserve the term "writer." But writing groups can put the lie to that fear, coaxing us and our words out from hiding. The UnderStory Collective is the writing group I belong to. I invited them to the Cave to share the reassuring and emboldening benefits of having writerly friends.

Members of the UnderStory Collective
Suzanne Johnston, Allan Cooper, Jessica Waite, Anne Marie Nakagawa, Brian Pearson

Some Local Resources
Writers Guild of Alberta: https://writersguild.ca
Alexandra Writers' Centre Society: https://www.alexandrawriters.org

Some Online Resources
The Shit They Don't Tell You About Writing: https://www.theshitaboutwriting.com
Unschool for Writers: https://unschoolforwriters.substack.com
The Writer's Bridge: https://thewritersbridge.com
Pandemic University: https://pandemicuniversity.com

General Resources
Public Library Writing Programs, eg: https://calgarylibrary.ca/read-learn-and-explore/digital-library/gale-courses/
Writers-in-Residence at many Libraries and Universities

A Few Books on Writing (and one on motivation)
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, by Stephen King; Scribner, 2000
Save the Cat! Writes a Novel, by Jessica Brody; Ten Speed Press, 2018
Story Genius, by Lisa Cron; Ten Speed Press, 2016
The Practice: Shipping Creative Work, by Seth Godin; Penguin, 2020

Personal Links
My web site (where you can sign up for my blog): https://www.brianepearson.ca
My email address: mysticcaveman53@gmail.com

Series Music Credit
"Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison, performed by Colin James, from the album, Limelight, 2005; licensed under SOCAN 2022