This writers group is designed to help develop and hone writing skills. Members are encouraged to discuss industry issues, share news of contests entered, contests won, manuscript submissions, rejections and - yay!-sales and fun reviews. From time to time I give workshops on various topics, but it's very loosely structured to keep it user- friendly and hopefully encourage participation. While I can't critique individual manuscripts, I'll offer advice and/or my opinion. Discussions of already published books must keep to the subject of how various aspects of craft were handled by the writer; this is not a place to diss either books or authors. Nor is it a place for publishers' or authors' sales pitches or SPAM. Since the goal is to have a friendly, inviting place where writers can come together, the moderator reserves the right to remove messages that are obscene, slanderous, designed to start a flame war, or are- in her opinion <g> - unnecessarily unfriendly.

Members are also invited to participate in the Finish the Damn Book spin-off group. The goal is self-described: members will encourage each other to finish the damn book! Methods used -- bribes, blackmail <g>, whatever -- will be self-determined by group members. This is a VERY unstructured group and members may decide, along with discussing craft issues, to share their work. If so, although this is a non public group, writers must understand that sharing work in progress is always a risk and they will hold harmless JoAnn and Yahoo for any similarities -- coincidental or intentional -- that may occur. (And yes, that is lawyer talk, but hey, sometimes a girl has to do what a girl has to do. <g>)

From time to time guest authors spend a week answering questions from members. Previous guests have been Allison Brennan, Cindy Gerard, Alesia Holliday, Janice Maynard, Roxanne St. Claire, and Eileen Wilks, and Ann Roth.