WHAT KEEPS A GROUP TOGETHER?

Another year, another writing retreat. And yes this time, once again I did little writing. (I have the first rough draft of a short story, edited a friend's children's story and a series of my own poems...but as far as retreats go, not a lot of actual written work).  Also this year I did not go for the walks I usually do, put that down to a bad cold and the fact I wanted to stay warm.

So what exactly did I do for those nearly three days?

I enjoyed the support and company and encouragement of my likeminded peers. It is amazing how much 'writing' stuff you can talk about in a weekend. Everything from publishers and what to send where, talk of actually getting down to write and then there was the brainstorming.

 Can I say I love the brainstorming....seeing something that has begun as a germ of an idea, flourish, become something more, a real piece of work, then see it again and offer more feedback on how it could be something truly wonderful.

That is where the excitement is...so often we are there at the beginning when it is only an idea, at the middle when the hard slog is done, and seeing a fellow writers book being accepted, published and then seeing that final product on sale in bookstores is beyond words.

Our group has been together for nearly twelve years...so what makes it work?

Apart from having a love of writing in common we are a mixed group- we are single/ married/ mothers/ grandparents/ no children/ working/ retired/ studying/ work from home/ children in primary school/ high school/ adult children.

In fact when we go out for coffee as a group our order looks a bit like this

• skinny latte
• chai latte 
• hot chocolate
• long black
• decaf skinny capuccino
• soy chai latte
• long black, extra water touch of milk
• cappucino in a mug

No two of us orders the same...ever. So what makes the group work for so many years?

It is our mix of characteristics. It is the fact that we have no one person in charge- we have some strong personalities, some gentler ones, but everyone has a voice and everyone gets listened to, gets the chance to be heard.

That is our magic. We understand we are all different, understand some of us have similarities, understand we will not all like what we have written, or understand what we are trying to accomplish but...and this is the important part....we listen, we strive to comprehend and we offer as much valuable feedback and honest and positive critique as we can.

And the fact we will never ever go hungry when away.