:: What is LAwritersgroup.com™?

Welcome to LAwritersgroup.com!  We run several writers groups and seminars throughout the Greater Los Angeles area, with an aim toward getting words on the page and providing a safe place for writers to exchange feedback on works in progress.  To see what groups we offer and how they work check out our Meeting Schedule  and our group leader.  You can sign up for our Los Angeles based writers group, where we meet in person, by filling out this form.   We started in 2003, with a single writers group.

:: Who are your group leaders and how do you pick them?

Group Leader bio’s are listed on the Group Leader page.  We chose our leaders based on writing background, the ability to provide constructive criticism across multiple genre’s, location, and general understanding of the supportiveness required in a writer’s workshop or writer’s group setting.

:: What’s this I hear about getting writing jobs?

Many people looking for writers to hire find our site and send us job requests.  Nearly all of the jobs are paid jobs or gigs.  We send these jobs out to our mailing list.  As a member of our mailing list, you get these job ads at no charge.  If you want to receive the job notifications, simply join our mailing list.  We’ve helped companies like Sony, Oakwood Worldwide, lots of online companies, and many Los Angeles-based companies find writers.

:: How can I participate in the writers group if I don’t live in Los Angeles?

Move to LA.  Kidding.    We are working on getting an online group together, but until then there are many online critique groups.  If you’d like, we’d love it if you’d interact with us on our facebook page or on our blog.  We post many items of interest to writers there.

:: How can I join an in-person writers group if I live in Los Angeles?

Find a writers group and fill out our sign-up form.  If we are in between groups, fill it out anyway because space is limited and this way we add you to our mailing list.  When we have open spots, we’ll contact you.

:: How do the in-person writers’ groups work?

Most groups meet once a week for eight week sessions, usually for 2-1/2 – 3 hours, in Los Angeles, usually on a weeknight or a weekend.  We run several groups in the greater Los Angeles area.  During each group meeting the group leader facilitates two to three in-group writing assignments, then give you the opportunity bring any piece of writing in for critique from the other writers and from our qualified group leader.  We are open to writers of all levels and genres.  The beauty of our groups is that they work for everyone.

:: What’s so great about being in a writing group?

The point of joining is to create new material.  Hence our tagline, Fill Your Notebook.  You really will fill a notebook during the course of the writers group.  Think of it as a weekly workout to exercise your craft.  It’s also nice to be able to bring in work-in-progress and get feedback from other writers and a professional group leader.  Connecting with other writers is one of the great side-effects of our groups.  The members tend to form a lasting bond.

:: Do you teach creative writing?

During each 8-week session, you will glean many things just by participating in the creative writing prompts, listening to the other writers read their work, and participating in the critique process.  However, this is not a classroom environment and we do not teach creative writing or technique.  If you are an experienced writer, you will find that our exercises help you generate new material and you will find yourself exploring new voices and even new genres.  As an experienced writer, you know how valuable feedback can be – especially from a qualified group leader.  We’ve created converted many a fiction writer into poets in our groups, and vice-versa.  If you are a newer writer, the writing exercises will get you thinking in new creative directions, and also help you create new material.  You will also glean quite a bit merely by listening to the other writers, and bringing in work for feedback should you so chose.

:: Where do you hold your groups?

We hold our groups in private homes for the privacy, comfort, and intimacy that environment provides.  The cost of renting space in Los Angeles has become prohibitive to keeping our costs affordable while also paying the group leaders what they are worth.  Because they are held in private homes, we do not give out the exact address until you register for the group, for privacy reasons.  If you are interested in hosting a group in your area, please contact us!  You get a significant discount if you do!

:: Who can join?

Any creative writer, anywhere – novices and experts alike – can join our groups, unless they are specifically noted to be for a specific genre or writing level.

:: I need to hire a writer.  Can you help?

Fill out our online form.  We charge a nominal fee to send a job ad out to our mailing list.  We will contact you and let you know if we will send the job to our writers.  We have thousands of writers on our list, and every single one of them will receive your job posting in their email inbox, which is better than posting your job on a website and hoping that the perfect writer happens to check that site while your job is posted.  We rarely post jobs that do not pay the writer with money (as opposed to credits or “back-end royalties”).  Writers need to eat and pay rent too.  Please respect that.

:: I’d like to advertise to your writers, how do I do that?

You may request an ad rate card here to advertise to our writers.  We often run specials and we have options that include advertising on our website, mailing list, blog, and even tweet and facebook advertising options.  If you are looking to hire a writer, inquire here.

:: Do you offer editorial services?

Most of our group leaders also offer private consulting, coaching, editorial services, story notes, script consulting, script coverage, copy editing, and proofreading services.  If you are interested in help with your novel, essay, non-fiction book, poetry chapbook, or anything else, you can inquire about our editorial services here.  If you would like us to find someone for you, we can do that as well.

:: What is your spam policy?

No spam, no sharing your email with anyone.

:: What is your refund policy?

Since we have limited space in each group, and because we hold your spot and do not give the spot to anyone else once you’ve paid, we do not give refunds after one week (7 days) prior to the start date of the writers group you have signed up for. If you wish to withdraw from the group, please notify us prior to one week before the start of your group. If you are signing up less than one week before the start of the group, then your group fee is non-refundable.  We appreciate your understanding.