First Meeting With The Writing Group
Writing A ‘Seasoned Romance’ With My Writing Group
Group Process
Switching our Writing Group from the practice of reading something written on a random subject chosen at the end of the previous meeting to collectively write a romance novel has its challenges!
Michelle, Tess, and I, the core threesome, plus Fran and Bryan, attended our first meeting since the big change was announced. Ruth, an interested guest, also joined us. Denise and Margaret were unable to come, so Michelle and I updated them via email.
The Decision
It was somewhat chaotic at first, but eventually, everyone agreed that we would all be involved in producing a romance book, albeit on different levels. Michelle felt that the previous writing practice had become rather stale, and this would bring new life to the writing group.
Our biggest advantage is our years of experience and the wealth of memories we draw upon, which will lend depth and authenticity to our narrative. Moreover, we are fortunate to have exceptionally talented writers in our group. That said, the group concluded that I should undertake the write-up to ensure the story features a single voice.
The Outcome
We then had an excellent discussion about the gold mining town of Kalgoorlie, on which we will base our fictional town of Kalminora. Tess came up with this splendid name!
Fran, Bryan, and Michelle's late husband spent time in Kalgoorlie during the 1970s. They will bring their notes to the next meeting, providing us with details of their ‘first-hand experience’ to enrich our story.
The Writing Process
The first thing we needed to decide was how we would communicate with each other, given that many of our group members have certain technological challenges.
Michelle has an iPad but has not yet uploaded Microsoft Word, which meant I couldn’t open the documents she sent me and vice versa.
Tess has a mobile but no iPad or computer.
Fran has a new iPad but must learn how to use it and upload Microsoft Word.
Bryan uses pen and paper but has an email address.
Michelle contacts Margaret via email.
Apart from myself, Denise is the only other group member who uses a computer, especially for her research and is familiar with social media. Unfortunately, she is currently unwell, but I hope she’ll feel better soon.
Progress
Michelle has since uploaded Word and is assisting Fran with her iPad and Word upload.
Michelle, Tess, and I exchange emails between meetings while Michelle provides relevant updates to everyone else following our fortnightly meeting.
I have written the fifth draft of the first few paragraphs of Chapter One, reflecting our shift in focus. The first two sentences introduce our two Main Characters (MCs). I won’t write anything else until we have completed all the exercises to clarify our characters, etc.
For You, Dear Reader
I anticipate creating many resources and exercises for our project. However, uploading them in their entirety within each post would make each one far too lengthy. So, I have created a ‘secret page’ on my website for you to access if you want to see something in more detail. This is the URL, and the password is - dear reader.
You will find the first paragraphs of Chapter One there. I hope you find the resources helpful. Of course, you might find the resources equally helpful as a solo writer. It will also be handy for me to upload exercises for our writing group there.
Structuring The Storyline
I have combined the five key turning points of a film script with the three acts of a romance to structure the first fifty pages of our romance.
Resources
I have combined elements from:
Stella Fosse’s book Write And Sell A Well-Seasoned Romance.
A YouTube video in which Allen Northern does a brilliant job of breaking down the six stages of Hague’s The Five Key Turning Points Of All Successful Movie Scripts.
A video on the Reedsy YouTube channel called Plot Your Romance Novel in One Hour with Bryn Donovan.
Character-building exercises from Stella Fosse’s book, Aphrodite’s Pen: The Power of Writing Erotica after Midlife.
I have incorporated all of the aforementioned elements into Exercise One to help us write the first twenty pages of Act 1. You can access the exercise here using the password - dear reader. Use this link to access the Act One Outline, which includes Stages 1 and 2 of the Five Key Turning Points.
In my next post…
The Writing Process as it continues to develop.
The result of using Exercise One to develop our main character.
More Resources.
Till next time ☺️
Very interesting Kisane et al! I have never written romance but am toying with the idea for one of my Interludes - the stories between the chapters. I usually wing it, so I appreciate your resources and process!