Quills & Roses
Well, I did it! I finally fulfilled another dream and made my own writing community. When I quit my last one, I thought…that was it. That was my last chance at a writing community. I won’t find another one. I’m stuck.
My mom told me to start an in-person writing group, but it would be lying to say I knew a lot of people who wrote (who lived nearby). So—once again—I felt stuck. And then I thought: what if...i did make a writing group?
So I opened up mightynetworks.com after school one day and signed up.
Two hours later and I had a running network.
I couldn’t believe it. It was everything i’d ever wanted out of a writing group…and it was mine. Now I just needed people. Steeling myself, I sent the invitation to every writer I knew from every writing community I’d been in…and I asked them to share it with their friends.
By the end of the day I had a bustling writing community of an entire bakers dozen.
Two weeks later: our group has expanded to 25 members and it’s amazing . I couldn’t believe it. Two weeks prior i had been crushed about being right back on square one and never having the community I NEEDED. Every single one wasn’t what i was looking for. Besides the Psych Ward I didn’t really know any writers that I talked to regularly.
Until Q&R
Truth be told, it is a poor community.
I wanted to make the network free for everyone, but in order to keep it that way we had to cut some corners and make some sacrifices. But the hardened rosebuds decided that a few lost features wouldn’t stop us from making this writing community the best one available. When I mentioned the sacrifices that had to be made, Q&R rallied behind me and came up with ways to cheat the system saying, “we get to practice the virtue of poverty!”
It truly is one of the greatest writing communities I’ve ever had.
I can’t wait to see where life takes us.
Because if it never gets bigger…or better then what it is right now, then I will be highly satisfied. Because how it is right now, is enough to bring me to tears. Because it’s not about the ambitions I have for it (though I have these in generous amounts), it’s not about the anthologies, it’s not about the member count, it’s not about whether we even become known. It’s about the fact that this community is one that encourages writers to write, not just talk about writing.
These people have showed me what it means to truly have a community that encourages, builds each other up instead of tearing each other down, is hyper focused on human creativity, and are truly just highly spectacular writers. Every time i read something another writer sent, I just have to recognize them for their creativity and their pure epic nature.
Because putting the words down are hard.
Sharing those words with someone else is harder.
Actually making the words good is harder still.
And these writers manage to do all of the above.
Y’all are awesome. I am so glad I get to be your host. Also, shoutout to Jade Howell, who was my first member and is—to this day—my half co-host helper person.
Fare thee well, until next time.
~Elizabeth
P.S
ON A MORE PRACTICAL NOTE:
If you would like to consider joining this place, please check out the Quills & Roses page for more information on the writing group :) The invitations are by application, as we want to carefully control the members of our secret society of serious storytellers.
Keep a look out for a Q&R anthology! We’re aiming for publication in early 2027, but I don’t know where that’s going to take us. With the help of an indie published author and a team of artists, self-appointed editors, and of course our wonderful writers…we have decided to shoot for the stars and attempt to build our own series of anthologies from the ground up.