St. Simons Island Writers
Local Writers Learning & Supporting Other Writers
Our programs include Writing Seminars and Workshops featuring authors of every genre from around the country—see our events list and descriptions below. In addition, we arrange manuscript critique groups to support and encourage your writing progress through monthly meetings.
If you would like to join our St. Simons Island Writers group and find a critique group that fits your purpose, please email Melinda Farris at melinda@mfarris.me.
JOIN A SHORT STORY CRITIQUE GROUP
Please let us know by contacting Scott Smith at manart1964@yahoo.com, who will be the group facilitator.
Member Spotlight
David C. Blumenfeld
- Poetry Critique Group Facilitator
Q: What is your genre/medium of writing, and how did you get started writing? In my twenties pursuing a doctorate in philosophy in Berkeley in the 1960s, I also wrote children’s stories and poems. It began with telling bedtime stories to my four-year-old son when his mother, from whom I was divorced, sent him to visit me in the summers. The pressure of writing a dissertation and starting a teaching career made it difficult to pursue this, so I put it aside. Sixty-five years later, in retirement, I took it up again and even published some old stories and poems in revised form. This led to my writing nonfiction (memoir) and now almost exclusively poetry for adults.
Q: What do you feel is your greatest help in your writing process? What do you think is your greatest challenge?
The greatest help for my writing has been the leisure in retirement to work full-time at it. I spend as many hours working now as I did when I was still employed --- probably more. My greatest challenge now that I have focused on poetry, is filling in my understanding of the history and techniques of recent and contemporary poetry. It helps that I was a joint English and Philosophy major until the middle of my senior year and maintained an interest in poetry but I’m still scrambling to fill in gaps in my knowledge.
Q: What are you working on currently? Based on earlier writing, I’ve just put together a book of poetry for kids ages 8 - 12 and have material for another one for younger children as well as a book of light verse (mostly comic poems) for adults. A book of poetry for adults on grief, loss, and guilt (cheerful stuff!) is also in the works, though still in an early stage.
Q: How has SSIW helped you in your progress? The St. Simons Writing Group has helped connect me with a community of talented people to exchange work with and get feedback. There are some truly gifted people on this wonderful island of ours. (If any poets writing for adults would like to join a small group to exchange work, let me know at dcblumenfeld/@gmail.com.)
Q: Do you have a website for interested readers?
For anyone interested, my website is davidcblumenfeld.com.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What programs does SSIW offer? We offer Writing Workshops and Seminars where authors, publishers, and editors from across the country come to discuss their process and help us grow. We also have monthly Critique Groups for fiction, nonfiction/memoir, poetry, and children’s literature. Finally, we host social events to connect local authors - because we’re all better at our craft when we have the support of our wonderful community.
What are the Critique Groups like? Critique Groups usually meet monthly to read and give feedback on current works in progress. They have approximately 4-8 people per group, and groups meet at various times during the day to accommodate a variety of schedules. Our members are constructive, kind, and incredibly knowledgeable to guide and encourage one another. Several of our members are published and have a wealth of wisdom to offer all stages of the process. There are groups for any genre of literature you are working with, and we’d love to have you join! Email Melinda at melinda@mfarris.me to join.
What are social events with SSIW like? Typically, before and after Seminars and Workshops, our members will meet to discuss their progress and interests or just connect to one another. You can check with our Facebook Page or Instagram for more information about our social events.
I’d like to join! How much does it cost? Membership in the SSIW is included with your membership to the Literary Guild - which starts at $10 annually. Contact Melinda to be placed in the critique group that best suites your needs: melinda@mfarris.me
Where do I register for an event? All of our big events (like Workshops, Seminars, etc) are available for registration on this site. You don’t need to be a member of the Literary Guild to attend the events; however, you get free or discounted registration as a member of the Guild - and many other wonderful opportunities.