“Unlikely Connections: How the Power of Writing Bridges the Gap Between Strangers”
What happens when a 70-year-old woman finds herself in a writing critique group alongside three men who could be her sons? Is it a recipe for disaster or a unique opportunity for a powerful exchange of ideas? Such is the backdrop of an enchanting journey of storytelling and self-discovery, where age is merely a number and passion for writing knows no generational boundaries. As this group convenes over sips of craft beer, they navigate the stumble—along with the triumphs—of being writers in a world that often dismisses them. With hilarity and heart, the dynamics of their encounters illuminate the profound impact of companionship across ages. Curious about how this unlikely ensemble shatters stereotypes while fueling creativity? Join me as we explore the touching yet humorous narrative of collaboration—one sip at a time. LEARN MORE.
A 70-year-old woman and three son-aged men
Writing groups have many advantages. I get to be a peer among non-peers. I am back from a beer and a burger at a new-to-me brewhouse, a meeting with three generationally younger men. We’ve been meeting for almost a year.
We got to know each other at a months-long writing workshop where we were unhappy for varied reasons. We kvetched together. We did come out of the workshop with this monthly critique group. I am a genuine fan of my fellow writers.
The writing workshop was offered by a local community institute with a decent reputation and offered meetings with published authors and agents. These turned out to be middling aging writers who needed to earn a buck and were teaching the course. All had published at least one book and then had transmogriphied into editors and teachers and dream killers.
Well, that’s not entirely true. Jaded is a process, and some were further along than others.
All the marketing language turned into jaded writer’s reality checks as the course progressed. The discussion included the competition, the difficulty of securing an agent, the challenge of publishing a book, and the likelihood of going in the hole instead of making any money. And writing, of course, the writing.
I didn’t need to pay for jaded. I could find that on my own. But the writer’s group that emerged has persisted and been helpful. I made other connections, and developed the discipline of writing because, dammit, I had paid for it.
The Group
One gay man who writes from a gay man’s perspective teaches me to see the “of course” and “aha” moments that have escaped me to date. Once one learns well, yes, of course, I read some authors differently or see historical events differently. My knee-jerk cisgender response is self-critiqued.
He is also the most experienced writer among us. He has finished several novels and had an agent attached to one book for a while. The book went nowhere. The other books have lingered in a drawer or on a hard drive.
I am an advocate for self-publishing at this point. His second book is even more enjoyable than the…
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