Writing & Critiquing Since 1979
News & Updates: Bearlodge Writers Blog
ABOUT US
Membership in Bearlodge Writers
Bearlodge Writers is open to those who are looking for a serious literary critique group to attend on a regular basis. We welcome all types of writing and writers at all levels. Our literary group welcomes all without regard to sex, religion, race, color, politics, brand of false teeth, and occupations other than writer.
Code of Conduct
Bearlodge Writers etiquette and ethics include such pithy instructions as "Shut up and read the crap!" (don’t waste time making excuses) and the vitally important "Pass the chocolate." We’re also known as the Bearlodge Eaters and even the Bearlodge Matchmakers (two members met at a meeting and later married).
Bearlodge Writers is a group of writers, both published and unpublished, who get together to share their love of writing. Our purpose is to:
√ encourage and support each other in our writing endeavors provide feedback, as requested, on our work
√ promote interest in good writing through cooperation with the schools, by providing public workshops, and by supporting other arts/writing groups such as Wyoming Writers and Wyoming Arts Council
√ disseminate information of interest to writers
√ promote networking among writers
√ enjoy the company and fellowship of other writers
Bearlodge Writers etiquette:
√ share, rather than instruct
√ with new writers, offer critique sparingly, encouragement plentifully
√ be conscious of time available and number of people to read—if necessary, take formal steps to avoid monopolization of reading time by one person
√ observe professional ethics*
*Professional
ethics:
-When
contacting a market, editor, or agent, never use another writer’s name without
permission.
- Pass the chocolate.
√ maintain confidentiality—writing can be an intensely personal activity. We sometimes share with the group stories or feelings that we hesitate to share even at home or with loved ones. It’s understood that what is shared with the group goes no further and is not repeated outside of the group;
√ “Shut up and read the crap!” Don’t waste time with excuses.
What Makes A Good Writer's Group?
Following is the Bearlodge Writers philosophy, answering the question "What makes a good writers' group?"
If we had to answer in one word, we would say, respect, and that includes trust.
Respect for the writer. The writer comes as a pilgrim, bearing an offering. Whether the writer be prince (experience/published) or pauper (brand new beginner), he is granted the respect of willing attention and receipt of the critique he desires, whether it be “Does this work? Are the characters believable?” or a complete pre-pub edit. This includes respect for the writer’s emotions—a willingness to laugh or cry along with him.
Respect for the piece. To place the offering on the table/altar requires an act of faith by the writer. This is met by the respect of serious consideration and gentle but honest critique, focusing on the merits of the piece itself, the type of critique desired, and the intent of the writer. It is never the group’s purpose to change the intent, but to clarify, to suggest, and to encourage.
Respect for the group. Each writer brings to the group his respect for its function and for the other members, making sure each one has time for his work to be discussed, is willing to give his thoughtful critique or expertise, and holds sacred within the group whatever revelations might be shared. Because of the mutual trust within the group, there is no “competition.” Everyone has the same goal—to make each other’s work the best it can be. And of course, pass the chocolate.
History of Bearlodge Writers
The Bearlodge Writers have been meeting since 1979. Membership has expanded over the years to include writers from the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming (and beyond). Our purpose is to enjoy each other’s fellowship, to encourage one another in our writing endeavors, to help each other improve our work, and to share information and tips.
We meet twice monthly on first Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m. and on third Tuesdays at 5:00 p.m., at the Crook County Library in Sundance, Wyoming. We welcome beginners (we all began sometime) and many of us are now professionals—we all love to write.
At any meeting we might hear chapters from novels, historical works, or other books in progress; poems, essays, newspaper columns, short articles, short stories, journal entries, letters and queries, book proposals, even limericks. We give feedback as requested by the author—from simply listening, to evaluating characters, plot, style, etc., to a full line-by-line critique on pieces headed out for submission.
Our work has been published by over a dozen national houses, such as Doubleday, Forge, and Houghton Mifflin, and has appeared in many periodicals, including Newsweek, Smithsonian, Parabola, The Christian Science Monitor, and Guideposts. It is included in anthologies and collections, including the Chicken Soup books, Writing Down the River, poetry chapbooks, and the "Windbooks" series: Leaning Into the Wind, Woven on the Wind, and Crazy Woman Creek.
Our members have given hundreds of workshops, readings, and presentations throughout the west, including at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada. We have also given radio and TV presentations, been keynote speakers, panelists, and faculty at various professional conferences, conducted writing retreats, worked in the schools, and received a variety of awards and fellowships.
As a group, BLW juries entries annually for the National Park Service’s Devils Tower National Monument residency competition, and gives writing workshops for writers and teachers (with accreditation for college requirements).
“We consider it our responsibility, and our privilege, to shed light upon one another’s work. But we try to do it in a way that not only illuminates, but gives warmth as well. Only the hardiest plant can withstand the sun’s fiercest rays. Seedlings, and the tender, easily bruised wings of writers just learning to fly, need a gentle, nurturing light.”
Page Lambert, affiliate member.