Wednesday, August 5, 2015

New Member Profile--Bri Lebrecht

The Glens Falls Writers Group caught my attention a couple months ago when I was looking for a local critique group. I had just finished my second Camp NaNoWriMo in April, in which I was reorganizing and revising a young adult (YA) WIP I've spent the better part of four years playing with. I completed the first draft of Revealed, a dual-narrative about a secret society of people with special abilities, roughly two years ago. Between homeschooling my two young children, running my hobby craft businesses (Baroness Caps and Fiction Stitches), caring for our flock of chickens and new goats, leading the Glens Falls chapter of Holistic Moms Network, and reading to keep up as the resident reader for Across the Board blog, my writing often takes the back burner, even when my characters are echoing in my head. Hence the four years part. ;) 

Before finding the group, I had tried my luck with online critiquing, which I found lacked the personal connection and experience I was looking for. I didn't want sugar coating or a pat on the back for effort. I wanted to know how to make my story better, how to grow as a writer, and what I could learn from someone else's experience. Finding this group of diverse writers has been something of a blessing for all that.

I remember the first meeting I attended. Simply put, I was in awe. The way the group interacted with one another, how honest their feedback was, and the questions the writers asked while being critiqued... I knew I had found a new home that would help me with what I wanted to achieve. After the meeting, I mentioned to Kay and Zackary how much I loved this blunt honesty and Zackary said that they were honest so we would know they meant it when they said it was good. And that's exactly what I was looking for when I began my search for a critique group. 

For every new meeting I attend, my excitement and passion for writing is renewed, and my determination to grow as a writer is replenished.  With their valuable feedback, I'm hoping the next draft of Revealed will be finished within the next few months. 

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