Come write with us!

Swirl and Swing is a small, private writing group. If you’re interested in joining us, email Ingrid, the group administrator, at swirl.and.swing (at) verizon.net with a brief bio and two writing samples that are representative of your work.

We try to keep the roster of members on the small and intimate side, but we’re excited to bring new voices into the chorus whenever we have open slots. The group itself is private and password-protected, accessible by invitation only. If you decide to join, I’ll send you the invite you’ll need in order to join as a group author. There is no cost to participate. This page will give you some information about how the group operates and help you decide whether it would be a good fit for you.

Thanks for your interest!

How Does The Group Work?

Swirl and Swing recreates the feel of a traditional weekly writing group in an online environment. The group is centered around Ready, Set, Write!, a flexible weekly writing assignment. Every Monday morning, one of our members posts a new RSW assignment.

Is This Group Right For Me?

There are two basic requirements for the group:

(1) Members should have at least a moderate level of comfort and familiarity with computers and navigating online. You will need to create a WordPress account and be able to use the posting and commenting interface to participate in this group.

(2) Members should have enough time to participate actively in this group. Since it’s a small group, we need most members participating most weeks in order to ensure an enjoyable level of activity. You should be able to commit the same amount of time that you would to join a traditional, weekly, in-person group, which includes writing something to share with the group, as well as taking the time to read other members’ works and comment thoughtfully.

We encourage and value regular, meaningful participation. This probably isn’t the group for you if you don’t anticipate being able to participate more often than not. But life gets busy, people get sick, and we expect occasional absences. No one’s getting kicked out for having a head cold or going away on vacation.

What Type of Feedback Do Writers Get In This Group?

This is a critique group, and writers can request three different levels of feedback:

Level One feedback (specific positive comments on the strengths of newer work and rough drafts)

Level Two feedback (Level One feedback plus suggestions for things to look at further)

Level Three feedback (the most detailed level of critique, for work ready to be sent to a potential publisher. Level Two feedback plus line-by-line critique or notes on grammatical and spelling errors)

I’d Like To Join! What Are My Next Steps?

If you are interested in joining, please email Ingrid (your friendly administrator) at swirl.and.swing [at] verizon.net to let her know you’d like to be considered for the group. Please include a brief bio and one or two representative samples of your work (pasted in the body of your email, attached as .doc, .docx, or .rtf, or a URL to samples online… we’re easy!).

If we have space available and you’re a good fit for the group, Ingrid will send you an invitation email; you may need to create a username or profile if you don’t have one through WordPress already. Once you join, we’ll ask you to tell us about yourself… and then dive in!

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