Moonlighters’ Ink – Independent Writers’ Group Guidelines

Moonlightersink@gmail.com

General Information

This is an independent group with no affiliation to any other institution. Meetings will be held on the first Tuesday of the month from 6-8:00 p.m. on Zoom or in the Local History Room at the Lakeville Public Library.

The moderator/administrator

• Maintains a list of members’ e-mails
• Manages submissions for feedback sessions
• sends out e-mail reminders to the members (2 weeks prior to the next session)

In an effort to make sure that there is enough time for the members of the group to give their critical feedback, only 2 writers will have their work critiqued per session. (15 page maximum – double spaced – per piece). Each submission must have the author’s name, the title, and have page numbers.

Work should be distributed by e-mail at least one week prior to the meeting. (REPLY ALL)

Comments will be shared in person at the Writers’ Group session or by email if unable to attend.

Purposes and Goals

Our main goal is to help each other improve our writing craft and work towards writing publishable work either for self-publishing or publishing through traditional platforms. The group will read and critique each other’s work, and encourage each other to submit finished works for publication. The group will also provide informal networking, potential contacts with professionals in the field, and a chance to meet other local writers with similar interests.

Writer Requirements

All levels welcome—from beginners to published authors—with a focus on Fiction (from YA to Adult). This group is geared for adults (ages 18+). While we are likely to have a great deal of fun at our meetings, they are not geared toward socializing. This will be a working writers’ group, and our main premise is that writers write. If you join, be prepared to read what you are working on, to take criticism, and also to give it.

A new member must attend at least two full sessions and give feedback on those submissions before they can submit their work for feedback.

If an otherwise active member is unable to attend for a few months, they may continue to submit as usual.

If a member takes a long leave of absence of more than a few months, they will need to attend at least two full sessions and give feedback on those submissions before they can submit their work for feedback.

All works submitted to the group remain the property of the author and are protected under copyright law. Under no circumstances is a member of the group at liberty to share the writing of others without the author’s formal consent.

Benefits of Membership

Your work is read by semi-professionals and aspiring writers and critiqued on the basis of its marketability.

Membership Guidelines

Attending meetings is a privilege—not a right. Memberships can be revoked for failure to follow critiquing rules, for failure to follow protocol in being critiqued, or by a general vote of the other members.

Rules of Critiquing

• Critique the writing, never the writer. Never say, “You are…” or “You should…” Instead say, “The writing is…” or “The story should…”
• Find what is right in each piece as well as what is wrong.
• Don’t say, “This is how I would write it.” How you would write it isn’t the point.
• Remember that subject matter is personal. You don’t have to like a story to give it a fair critique.
• Remember what your biases are and critique around them.
• Remember that real people wrote this stuff, and real people have real feelings.

Examples of things you may not say while critiquing:

“That’s awful.”

“That’s stupid.”

“I wouldn’t read this.”

Rules of Being Critiqued

• The person who is speaking has taken the time to read your work and wants to help you find ways to make it better.
• Wait until everyone has finished critiquing before making comments.
• Explain only if necessary. Don’t argue over the readers’ critiques.
• Take notes.
• Realize that every piece of writing can be improved.
• Be willing to make changes. Conversely, don’t change anything you feel must remain in order to make the story yours.

Things you may not say when being critiqued:

“You’re wrong.”

“You’re an idiot.”