Join the Journey - our year-round writing group

Back at the start of 2007, since we all had so much fun doing NaNoWriMo, some of us didn't want it to end and we created the Pledge To Publish, a writing group dedicated to helping us pursue the necessary steps to get published. We accomplished some good things, but also learned some lessons along the way. The Pledge To Publish turned into the Pledge, which then became the Journey.

The Journey is the year-round writing group for the Naperville region of NaNoWriMo. It is what I like to think of as a cafeteria-style writing group. We've learned along the years that every writer has a different set of interests. The Journey is set up with a series of Paths that represent the different interests. People join the Paths they want to set up and follow.

Past Paths include:

• 
  short story anthologies (we've self-published four to date, with KatherineWriting, cd0189, horatio, Whitey, and Roger Lubeck serving as Editors; two more are in progress, with scrapacat, Cee-Bee and SheWrote as Editors)
  


• editing
  


• social outings
  


• speculative fiction
  


• weekly online jabber chats and writing exercises
  


• writing retreats (we had our first one last year--it was great!)
  

What do I need to do?
People only do what they want to do (cafeteria style). We don't have any outside funding, so the activities are self-funded by those participating (e.g., people pay for their own lunches at lunch outings).

What if I don't see a Path I'm interested in?
People are encouraged create new Paths if they don't see one they are interested in.

Are there regular meetings?
We have rooms already reserved in the Naperville Municipal Center for monthly Saturday lunch meetings January through June and one in September.

How do I sign up?
Fill out this survey. Existing and new members should fill out this form. You can also post a message to this thread: if you're an existing member, share what you like and what you'd like to see change in 2013. If you're a new member, mention what you are seeking in the Journey.

When is the first meeting?
The first Journey Saturday meeting is on Jan. 12th, Naperville Municipal Center (Rooms BC), 11:45 AM-3 PM. Bring your own lunch.

Agenda

• 11:45 - 12:30 -- eat our own lunches and talk about stuff, being sure to introduce ourselves and meet new people
  


• 12:30 - 1:00 - Brainstorm what we want to accomplish in 2013, especially as a group.
  


• 1:00 - 2:00 - Next steps. People commit to organizing an event, participating in a path. May want to break into subgroups to discuss specifics.
  


• 2:00 - 3:00 - Journey login, wiki how to
  

Returning Members

• NewMexicoKid
  


• KatherineWriting
  


• Squiddish


• Corrupted Flame
  


• Sapphire
  


• TeenWriter
  


• WritingStudent
  


• Sheeva
  


• tireddadx3
  


• askeladd
  


• TypesetJez
  


• Chastrea
  


• Qberty
  


• Larkk
  


• scrapacat
  


• catatone1


• TRRDEDEAN


• cableshaft

New Members

• The Peddler of Dreams
  


• jen.e.moore


• waking521
  


• writertodd07
  


• Suenor
  


• midwestraised
  


• fdahlman
  


• Phoenixica24


• Nidia.Ceylon
  


• Mochomito


• Deathbypenz


• Urbanknight1968


• Madame LaFarge


• ChiWriter123


• Black-betty54


• RLShepherd

'Sup. Here I am. Returning. And planning on kicking butt.

Or something like that.

As always, I bring my squid-like personality and love of all things tentacled.

I've really nothing more to add. I love the journey. I love you guys. I love everything.

;DD

By the way, please indicate if you are interested in joining the new Art Path: as a start, we're thinking of having a joint flickr photostream where we post new artwork

I suppose I'll still be in on this.

And an art path sounds neat. Unfortunately, I have zero artistic abilities whatsoever, so I don't think I would be joining it personally. <_<

I will return to the Journey this year!

Most of my focus will likely be on turning this year's NaNo novel into something more complete and less rough around the edges. I'm really proud of this year's book and this is actually the first NaNoWriMo where I've continued writing past November (which says a lot!). It also helps that I have people that want to read it, so I need to finish, warn them incredibly well about it being a very rough draft, and send it off~

Otherwise, I think it'll be the same as last year for my chosen path. I'm not altogether interested in anthologies (though the Other Worlds one sounds open enough that I may do a short story on the topic even if I don't join the anthology); I just want to keep the creative spark going. This year's NaNo novel was inspired by a writing prompt I did at our weekly Sunday Caribou meetings throughout the year, and it'd be nice to get that sort of inspiration again.

The art path is intruiging and since I'm doing art all the time anyhow for my hobby/shop, I'd love to join a flickr group to post mine and see other peoples' work!

I'm joining as a new member.

Like Sapphire, I'm going to try to polish my novel. I haven't quite decided on a particular path to focus on, but the new art path will always be of interest to me. :)

I'll be returning to the Journey this year! I'd love to finish and clean up my novel from this year because I feel like it's the best, most solid one I've written so far. I'd like to see a more concrete group of people working on that kind of thing in the Journey. :)

I'll be joining as a new member. I loved having the support of this group during NaNo; it's one of the things that allowed me to finish for the first time! I want to polish this year's NaNo novel, and get started on a new project I've been considering for a while.

I'm still in.
Hoping that the art path will continue as planned.
We have so much artistic talent that I would love it if we could showcase it! Anyways, I'll bring that up at the meeting on saturday. :)

WritingStudent wrote:
Anyways, I'll bring that up at the meeting on saturday. :)

Be sure to RSVP in the TGIO thread. (Or Tim won't have an award for you.)

Yep, add me to the list.

I am looking to get back involved in the Journey this year, after being an inactive member for the last couple of years. Interested in the editing path.

Hi, I'm interested in polishing up this year's novel, and making it reader friendly so I can actually let readers read it. :-) Sounds like I'm not alone, though others in this thread have stated their objective much more eloquently. Looking forward to participating in the Journey...and figuring out how to get JabberChat to work on my PC! See everyone Saturday.

Tim, I am interested in the Journey. I would not be a candidate for the art path, but hope we get a chance to see what develops there.

I'm definitely interested! If anyone is willing to talk me through it step-by-step -the joining anyway- I'll be there! :D

I'm looking for motivation to finish, edit, and publish my novel through any legal means necessary. That's my only requirement. ;D

I'm interested in The Journey!

I'm interested in short stories, editing, and writing exercises. I have a few ideas for some writing exercises and enjoy editing. The art path also sounds interesting, I know that was mentioned, and though I'm not good at art I like photography.

The first Journey Saturday meeting is on Jan. 12th
Naperville Municipal Center, 11:45 AM-3 PM

I suggest that Tim use the 2-3 time to walk new people through how to use the Wiki, get a login, stuff like that.

In fact, here's my two cents on the agenda for the 12th:
11:45 - 12:30 -- eat our own lunches and talk about stuff, being sure to introduce ourselves and meet new people
12:30 - 1:00 - Brainstorm what we want to accomplish in 2013, especially as a group.
1:00 - 2:00 - Next steps. People commit to organizing an event, participating in a path. May want to break into subgroups to discuss specifics.
2:00 - 3:00 - Journey login, wiki how to

Okay, thanks!

would like to join the journey. : )

Sign me up!

I edit. A lot.
And I would love to exchange manuscripts, especially via Critique Circle. Yes, you read that right. I'm ready for people to read my stuff. :)