Anyone who has tried this thing called writing knows how easy it is to fall out of the habit. So, I’m particularly thankful that here in Nashville there is such a vibrant writing community.

The Nashville Writers Meetup offers a number of groups for writers of all levels to participate in each month. There is a group for novelists, one for sci-fi/fantasy writers, a mystery/thriller writers group, speculative fiction writing group, poetry group, writers chat group, young adult group and so much more.

After missing a few meetings over the past couple months for a variety of reasons, I managed to attend several meetings this month. On Tuesday I joined my fellow writers at the sci-fi/fantasy group, and Saturday I brought pages from my work in progress to the novelist group. Between those meetings, I even found time to attend the Tennessee Screenwriters Association’s weekly meeting on Wednesday.

All three meetings were great, as they have helped reinvigorate my writing efforts. Being able to sit down with other writers and having the opportunity to discuss our craft, as well as read, critique and learn from each other’s works is amply rewarding. Not to mention that there is always a new face or two at each meeting to connect with.

I’ll admit, you do have to bring an open mind to the table as you never quite know what you’ll be reading next. The sci-fi genre especially seems to bring out some rather inventive and, sometimes, complicated works to consider. But, that’s the adventure of it. That’s what’s so cool.

I sincerely appreciate each and every writer who dares to bring their material to the groups for review. And I especially appreciate their candid responses and input into my own works in progress.

If you live in or near a big city, do yourself a favor and investigate whether there is a writing group you can join. Or consider a book reading group, as you can learn about the craft that way too. You’ll be glad you did.