Romance Writing
Groups

Copyright Judy Bagshaw - All Rights Reserved

For several years now, I have belonged to a Yahoo romance writing group, BBWRomanceWriting--writers who are interested in creating stories with plus sized characters, particularly plus-sized heroines. The atmosphere in the group is so welcoming and supportive and I have become friends with many of my fellow group members. We have created two anthologies in the past year and had them published. We are working on a third. It is a wonderful collaboration.

Writing, no matter your genre, can be a very solitary pursuit. It is important to find ways to get out and mingle with other writers. You need to share successes and frustrations. You benefit from critique partnering, and opportunities for workshops and industry speakers. If you haven’t a writer’s group in your community to join, or if you are unable to easily leave your home, an online group could fit the bill.

Romance writing groups abound online and it is relatively easy to find one that fits well with you and your personality. It is not possible to include information on every group available, but with an initial search, I found these. There are MANY more. My advice is to run your own search and find one that feels like a good fit for you. I have included their group descriptions where available.

• Romance Writers of America have chapters all over North America. RWA-Chapters   RWA is the premiere romance writing organization. What’s neat about them is that they have chapters everywhere, so it would be relatively easy to find one near you. 

• MSN-RomanceWritingTips This is the critique group to Romance Writing Tips. Writers give and receive feedback on each other’s work.   

• Shelfari If you’re a romance writer, published or unpublished, this is the place for you.  Tell us the release date of your next book. List your favourite books. Join in on discussions. Ask questions and enjoy your time here. 

• RomanceWritingTips  Are you a Romance Fiction writer that's yet to be published? Maybe you're published but still need information about writing. Not sure how to format that manuscript or query letter? How about that synopsis? This group will showcase some of the best information for Romance writers from all over the net. 

• ChristianRomanceWriters   We are a group of Christian writers writing Christian Fiction. Each week on this list we have an Article that is posted and then a TOPIC we discuss. This is a pretty easy list where we chat about many things. The rules are simple...keep it Godly and no spamming. 

• RomanceBookJunction   Romance Book Junction is an active community where romance readers and writers come together. Romance readers will be able to find new authors to read. Romance writers will be able to find new readers for their books. 

• TheWordMerchantsSociety   This site welcomes all writers, but it is especially geared  for romance writers of contemporary, inspirational, regency, medieval, historical, suspense, mystery, time travel, fantasy, futuristic, and paranormal romance. 

• WritersCafe.org   This group is for all those people who believe in writing about romance and feel the need to write. Remember everyone's piece is a work of art. 

• RomanceCritters.com Offers listings of various romance writing “loops”. 

• Writing.com    Writing.Com is the online community for writers and readers of all interests and skill levels.  Whether you're an enthusiastic, creative writer looking for the perfect place to store and display your romance writing online or a casual reader searching for a good story, Writing.Com is the website for you!

As you can see, there is something for everyone, whether you write Christian romance or hard core erotica, whether you are published or just beginning your writing journey.  Being in the company of fellow birds of a feather will make the writing journey less of a lonely one, and give you the needed support as you work on improving your craft.

About the Author: Judy Bagshaw has been published since 2000. Writing romance featuring full-figured heroines, her publishing credits include 4 novels, 1 collection of short stories, and short stories in three anthologies. She was also part of the writing team for the Ginn Reading Series, and Reaching Readers Series, used in many elementary schools. Retired from teaching, she writes full-time from her home in Ontario, Canada. Visit Judy's website: www.judybagshaw.com