Life & Culture

Get Social….and Start Writing

By David Biederman Monday, May 22, 2023 14 Comments Share This:

“If you write what you yourself sincerely think and feel and are interested in… you will interest other people.” –Rachel Carson

Writing is a lonely pursuit. But if you love to write and don’t want to toil in solitude, there are plenty of ways to get social with others who share your passion.

Loretta Campbell fell in love with horror stories at the age of 9, inspired by her father’s love of Edgar Allen Poe. She began writing in her room and today is an accomplished writer and member of the Horror Writers Association. “I feel the happiest and most alive when I am writing, and of course very much in tune with my spirit,” she said.

One Writer’s Experience

Ms. Campbell is a member of at least three writing groups and started one of her own—Séance Report. She recommends going to public readings or book signings—free events are available all across NYC– to improve as a writer and to meet like-minded people. “It’s a great way to hear what other people are doing and to begin to build a community.”

Creative writing is a powerful act of discovery with myriad benefits. It stimulates your imagination, helping you to see the world in a different way—always a good thing! It helps you develop your own unique voice and vision and crystallize your thinking as you employ logic and structure to tell your tales. The act of describing people, experiences and emotions that may be completely different from your own can open the door to empathy and understanding.

Many Writers’ Groups

Among the many writing groups in just one city – NYC – are 420 Friendly Writers Group, Harlem Writers United, the Astoria Writers Group, NYC Writers Critique Group, the Gay Men’s Writing Group and the Black Women’s Writing Group. Brooklyn-based Writing Under the Influence meets weekly to share drinks and works in progress. Inspired by “Write drunk, edit sober”–a quote misattributed to Ernest Hemingway—it’s “a fun, casual writing group that has drinks while writing. “

The New York Public Library offers free writing classes, including a series of art workshops for adults 50 and older. Writing classes are available across the five boroughs including The Story Studio, Queensborough Community College, and Gotham Writer’s Workshop. At CUNY Graduate Center, The Writing Center offers workshops, webinars and personal consultations, and The Writer’s Institute offers a one-year intensive workshop with leading editors. The Writers Room, NYC’s and the nation’s first nonprofit, provides a shared writing space it calls a “silent sanctuary,” and is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Writers Studio, founded by a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, offers online and in-person writing workshops designed to help students discover and nurture their own voices.

Writing Communities

Senior Planet Community has a Book Club and a Space for Creatives. The National Writers Union offers membership to a wide variety of writers. Use the occasion of National Writers Day to connect with other writers. Join a group where people read from their works—it’s a great way to begin to build a community.

Free writing groups for seniors are available throughout the country, including The Senior Writers Group at the Carnegie Center in Lexington KY, Voices of Wisdom in San Andreas, CA, Imprint Senior Memoir Workshops in Houston, the Room to Write Series in Wakefield, MA, free creative writing classes in Fairfax, VA, and the High Lights Community Writing Workshops in Skokie, IL

If you want to take a shot at joining the pros, The Writer’s Lab, a program of New York Women in Film and Television, selects 12 promising writers each year, from a competitive pool of submissions, to work with accomplished women mentors from the film industry. The Writers Lab is the only program in the world devoted exclusively to script and career development for women and nonbinary writers 40+.

Your Turn

We’d love to hear about your experiences with writing. Have you met people in writing groups? Are you working on a memoir, novel or poems? Tell us about your experience in the comments!

COMMENTS

14 responses to “Get Social….and Start Writing”

Marvella McPartland:

Thursday, August 21, 2025 at 7:15pm

Any thing in Oregon? I’m in Hillsboro…in the Portland suburbs. I will be writing thru recording and hopefully recording and then printing out the chapters. My fingers make oodles of typos!
I have mild dementia at this point. I would like to write a book that includes some of my music album when I was earning part of my money in music. But mainly a story of my expectation at age 12 of being a star one day through singing, or song writing while sliding into being elderly.

Reply to Marvella McPartland
.Joanne Orion Miller:

Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at 6:16pm

California Writer’s Club is the oldest organization of writers in the state. I’m a member of CWC Marin Chapter: we feature monthly programs on a number of topics, from craft to marketing, some in conjunction with our local libraries. Come join us! https://cwcmarin.com/about/

Reply to .Joanne Orion Miller
1. Barbara Lovejoy:
  
  Wednesday, January 24, 2024 at 12:31am
  
  Hi Janet, is there a California Writer’s Club in the San Diego, CA area?
  Thanks for the idea! Please reply directly to my email address, I don’t know if I’d find my way back to an online post; hope you can see it in the message I sent; didn’t want to post it here. I’ll also try googling it.
  Barbara
  
  Reply to Barbara Lovejoy
Kate Walter:

Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at 5:51pm

I’m the author of two memoirs and many personal essays. I have been in the same
writing group in Greenwich Village for
over 25 years. This past year I started
teaching a memoir writing class for seniors
at the Greenwich House senior center in
Westbeth Artists Housing . Two of my
students published essays! I look forward
to the class resuming in the fall.

Reply to Kate Walter
1. Jenyce Jiggetts:
  
  Sunday, May 28, 2023 at 10:50pm
  
  I’d like to know more about your classes, process, registration, price etc.
  
  Reply to Jenyce Jiggetts
  1. Kate Walter:
    
    Wednesday, May 31, 2023 at 7:04am
    
    http://www.Greenwichhouse.org. Click on link
    to Older Adult Centers. Class is free.
2. Wendy R Friedman:
  
  Monday, May 29, 2023 at 11:25am
  
  Hi Kate,
  I’m not too far away in SoHo. Kindly send me info about your Fall writing group. I may be able to join.
  
  Thanks,
  Wendy
  
  Reply to Wendy R Friedman
  1. Kate Walter:
    
    Wednesday, May 31, 2023 at 7:01am
    
    Www. Greenwichhouse.org. Click on link
    Older Adult Centers.
  2. Autumn Ramey:
    
    Friday, September 5, 2025 at 6:27pm
    
    Hello, I am interested in creative writing. How do I join a class online, I am 65 and have wrote for years. I would like to get back in writing. Please let me know what I can do.
    Autumn Ramey
  3. Abraham Cespedes:
    
    Tuesday, September 9, 2025 at 10:32am
    
    Hi Autumn. Thanks for reaching out and being interested in improving your writing skills. Senior Planet has a session coming up called, “Singer-Songwriter Showcase.” This session has a special showcase coming up which we invite you to participate in and see what other adults putting together with their songwriting. The link to the class is below. For further support please call the Senior Planet Hotline at 888-713-3495. https://seniorplanet.org/event/singer-songwriter-showcase-q3-2025/
3. David Barry:
  
  Tuesday, August 27, 2024 at 4:46pm
  
  hi Kate, I’m not seeing your class this Fall in NY. Do you have a direct link or could you provide more information?
  
  Reply to David Barry
4. Robert Hirschfield:
  
  Friday, January 3, 2025 at 8:34am
  
  Kate,
  I am widely published writer of haiku poetry (very much a senior),
  who would love to be part of a senior haiku poets writing group.
  Would you know of any, or of any seniors who do write haiku and
  would like to meet and talk about their work and haiku writing.
  
  Many Thanks,
  Robert
  
  Reply to Robert Hirschfield
5. Victoria S Gold:
  
  Friday, May 2, 2025 at 5:41pm
  
  I live in Mass, but originally from Brooklyn New York. I am new to writing. Is your group on zoom or, is it in person? If it’s on zoom that’s great. If not are you aware of any local Mass group around Boston.
  
  Thank you,
  Victoria Gold
  
  Reply to Victoria S Gold
  1. Senior Planet:
    
    Monday, May 5, 2025 at 9:48am
    
    Try googling “Boston Writing workshops” and see what you get!

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