Put Writers in Your Community on the Map!

  • A qualifying city-group must have regularly scheduled meetings posted publicly on the Kansas Authors Club website. 
  • A designated, dues-paying member must be listed on the website as a contact (phone or email) for members and nonmembers looking to participate.
  • At least 4 gatherings must be scheduled each year.
  • A quarterly summary of the group’s activities must be submitted to the State, including numbers of dues-paying members and numbers of non-members taking part in meetings. Groups are encouraged to submit these as news announcements for the website.

Tips for starting a more formal local writing group:

Following are suggestions on how to start a city-group as part of Kansas Authors Club.

  • Find and contact other Kansas Authors Club members and writers in your area. Use the directory in the back of the KAC yearbook to find contact information. Send invitation emails. Tell them your writing story and that you want to share it with like-minded people.
 
  • Find a designated meeting location. This could be a coffee shop, restaurant, library, community building, church, etc. Set a specific date and time to meet. For example: The 1st Wednesday of each month at 5pm.

​At the first meeting: 
  • Spend time getting to know each other. What types of writing are members working on? What are their hobbies? Their day jobs? Establishing a connection with one another is important!
 
  • Elect officers. This sounds intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. More than likely, there are some natural-born leaders in your group that will jump at the chance to take an officer role. Depending on the makeup of your group, you might want to elect the following officers: City Chair, Program Coordinator, Secretary/Historian. These can be changed/amended depending on the desires of the group.
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  • Verify with members that a specific day and time will work for the majority of the group as well as the location.
 
  • Discuss the goals of the group. What are you wanting to achieve at these meetings? Do you want to have presenters? Critique groups? Read arounds? Or just time to write? Maybe a little of all of those things! Start with a single focus and flexibility to grow.
 
  • After the first meeting, the program coordinator can work on organizing the types of activities  that will occur at each meeting. This may include asking individuals if they would be willing to present or come up with other activities that the group could do together. It is great if members are willing to present with the group. However, having a non-member presenter is always an option. 
 
  • Create a way for members to communicate with one another, whether that be sharing information about upcoming meetings, events, writing contests, etc. This could take the form of a Facebook group, an email distribution list, or some other way that is easily accessible for the group. If using a Facebook group, it is recommended that it be a private group, and members need approval by admins to join. This helps keep out things like bots and spam.
 
  • City groups might want to use the statewide program as an opportunity to gather and watch the program together in addition to their local meeting. This would give the members a chance to talk about their ideas while they are fresh.
 
  • Meetings do not need to be limited to KAC members.
 
  • Make sure that new members are made to feel welcome to keep the group growing. Acknowledge, introduce, ask questions, show interest, and share resources. Don’t overwhelm a new member by asking them to take a leadership position unless they show interest. Invite them to share their writing with the group informally, and it may encourage them to do an open mic, or other presentation.

Remember your city group doesn’t have to do exactly the same thing other groups are doing! You can do your own thing and structure it in a way that best suits the members of the group. There is no right or wrong way to organize your gatherings as long as everyone is having fun!

If the above sounds a bit intimidating, consider getting started by simply inviting area writers to the coffee shop for a monthly check-in to get to know one another and to get to know what types of projects your neighbors are working on.

Member Thoughts on Writing Groups:
Tips for Taking Your Writing to the Next Level
by Tracy Million Simmons (Blogspot)

Should I Join a Writer's Group?
Writer Granny's World (Nancy Julien Kopp)

Thoughts on Writing Groups
Writer Granny's World (Nancy Julien Kopp)

Writers Need Writer Friends
Writer Granny's World (Nancy Julien Kopp)

Why Belong?
Ann Christine Fell​
Do you know of member essays that belong on this list? Send them to us!