Month: May 2026

12 Activities to Energize Your Writers’ Group and Elevate the Craft

May 28, 2026

As the director of a League of Writers, I’m constantly searching for activities that bring genuine value to our members. Over time, I’ve realized that writers’ groups exist everywhere—each one filled with passionate individuals striving to improve their craft and find community. With that in mind, I’ve compiled a list of activities that have worked well for us and might benefit your group too.Whether you’re leading a small local circle or a larger organization, these ideas can transform your meetings into dynamic spaces for creativity, learning, and mutual support.

1. Guest Speakers and Workshops

Inviting guest speakers breathes fresh energy into any group. Consider reaching out to published authors, editors, literary agents, or experts in fields relevant to your members’ interests.For example:

A sci-fi author could discuss world-building techniques
A psychologist could share insights into crafting realistic characters with complex psychological profiles
A comedian or humorist could explore how to weave humor into prose

These sessions expose members to new perspectives and provide invaluable insider knowledge.

2. Critique and Feedback Sessions

Constructive feedback is the lifeblood of improvement. Establish a structured critique process that feels safe and productive:

Writers read their work aloud or distribute it beforehand
Listeners provide constructive feedback while the author listens quietly—no defending or explaining during the critique
End with a Q&A where the author can ask clarifying questions

This approach helps writers truly absorb feedback rather than react defensively, allowing them to refine their craft with fresh eyes.

3. Creative Writing Prompts and Challenges

Prompts spark imagination and push writers outside their comfort zones. Try these approaches:

Write a short story based on a single evocative word or phrase
Use provocative music or artwork as inspiration for a scene
Challenge members to write in a genre they’ve never attempted—sci-fi, psychological thriller, romance, or horror

The element of surprise and constraint often produces surprisingly powerful work.

4. Themed Writing Exercises

Align exercises with your group’s collective interests:

Humor Writing: Craft a comedic piece inspired by a favorite comedian’s style
World-Building: Collaboratively create a fictional universe, with each member contributing a unique element—technology, culture, history, or geography
Character Deep Dives: Develop a character harboring a dark secret and brainstorm how it could drive an entire plot

Themed exercises create cohesion and allow members to learn from each other’s interpretations.

5. Book and Style Analysis

Studying the masters sharpens our own skills. Dedicate sessions to analyzing published work:

Compare the opening lines of two novels to discuss style, tone, and hooks
Have members share a favorite book and explain why the author’s voice resonates with them
Dissect humor writing techniques by examining essays or routines from beloved comedians

Understanding why something works teaches us how to replicate that magic.

6. Writing Retreats

There’s something transformative about stepping away from daily life to focus entirely on writing. Organize a retreat where members can immerse themselves in their projects:

A weekend getaway at a cabin, hotel, or retreat center
A virtual retreat with scheduled writing blocks and group check-ins

The camaraderie, shared goals, and uninterrupted focus can be profoundly motivating—and often produce breakthrough progress.

7. “Brags” and Celebrations

Writing can be isolating, and achievements often go unnoticed. Dedicate time at each meeting for members to share their wins:

Completing a chapter or draft
Submitting a manuscript to agents or publishers
Publishing a piece, receiving positive feedback, or hitting a word count goal

Celebrate these milestones with applause, small rewards, or simple acknowledgment. This fosters a sense of accomplishment and reminds everyone that progress—however small—matters.

8. Collaborative Projects

Working together builds community and teaches valuable lessons about the writing process:

Anthology: Each member contributes a short story around a shared theme
Collaborative Novel: Use the Snowflake Method or another plotting technique to outline a novel together, then divide chapters among members
Round-Robin Stories: One member writes the opening paragraph, then passes it to the next person to continue

These projects create tangible results the group can be proud of—and potentially publish.

9. Skill-Building Sessions

Target specific craft elements that challenge your members:

Writing natural, compelling dialogue
Crafting openings that hook readers immediately
Editing and revision techniques
Show versus tell
Pacing and structure

Use writing craft books, online resources, or invite a writing instructor to guide the session. Focused skill-building creates measurable improvement.

10. Fun and Interactive Activities

Not every meeting needs to be serious. Inject playfulness into your group:

Storytelling Games: Use random prompts or words to create a story collaboratively in real-time
Writing Roulette: Each member writes a paragraph, then passes their paper to the next person to continue—chaos and creativity ensue
Genre Swap: Rewrite a scene from your current project in a completely different genre (turn a thriller into a comedy, or literary fiction into sci-fi)

Laughter and play unlock creativity in unexpected ways.

11. Unconventional Inspiration Exercises

Draw writing prompts from unexpected sources:

Craft a story based on overheard conversations, mysterious radio transmissions, or strange signals
Use historical photographs or news headlines as story seeds
Write from the perspective of an inanimate object or an unusual narrator

Unusual starting points lead to original stories.

12. Psychological Exploration for Character Development

Deep, believable characters drive memorable fiction. Create exercises that explore psychology:

Write a scene from the perspective of a character with a specific psychological trait, fear, or condition
Explore how a character’s past trauma influences their present decisions and relationships
Develop detailed backstories that never appear on the page but inform every action

Understanding the human mind—its quirks, defenses, and desires—makes characters leap off the page.

Final Thoughts

A writers’ group should be more than a meeting—it should be a space where creativity flourishes, skills sharpen, and writers find the support they need to keep going. By incorporating a variety of activities, you can keep your group fresh, engaged, and continuously growing.I hope this list proves useful to writers’ groups everywhere. After all, when we lift each other up, we elevate the entire craft.What activities have worked well for your writers’ group? I’d love to hear your ideas.

Happy writing!

Here are a few of my projects…

When “Love” Becomes a Cage: The Silent Exploitation of Aging Parents

The Scene We Know All Too Well

“Oh Dad, you fell. Listen, you can’t live by yourself anymore. You need someone taking care of you.”It sounds like concern. It looks like love. But far too often, it’s neither.What is disguised as an act of compassion is, in reality, a calculated move to get Dad out of the way—so that his assets can be quietly liquidated, his autonomy erased, and his life reduced to a transaction.

The Question No One Wants to Ask

Instead of bringing Dad into their home—cooking for him, checking on him, being present—what do you think this generation is all too eager to do?They put him in a facility. Out of sight. Out of mind. Out of the way.I’ve seen it far too many times. In fact, I wrote a short story based on a true account of this very thing: “Just As I Am”—because some truths are too painful to ignore and too important to stay silent about.

A Prison Disguised as “Care”

Once the parent is removed from their home, their freedom is absconded. They become a prisoner of their children’s making.The “rules” are set—not by doctors, not by the parent—but by the kids:

Dad is not to leave the facility under any circumstances unless they decide to take him out for a doctor’s appointment.
His world shrinks to a small room, a bed, a small TV, and a communal bathroom shared with strangers.
His identity dissolves. The man who built a life, raised a family, and earned everything he had is now reduced to a room number.

And then what happens?Dad becomes depressed. Bitter. Isolated. He tries to hold on through the few friends who still come to visit—but the light fades faster than it ever would have at home.He dies earlier than he should have. Not from illness, but from heartbreak.

Follow the Money

While Dad withers in his small room, here’s what’s happening on the outside:

His pension becomes their income.
His savings become their spending money.
His Social Security gets redirected.
His home and belongings are sold off or trashed.

The kids figure out exactly what it costs to keep Dad “housed”—and spend the rest on their own debt, a vacation, maybe a new car. After all, they’ve convinced themselves they deserve it.

The Lie They Tell Themselves

Once the adult children convince themselves that the Boomers owe them something—that they’re entitled to what their parents built—it becomes disturbingly easy to justify taking it.“They had it easier.”“They ruined the economy.”“They owe us.”But do they? They absolutely do not.

The Truth

Let me be blunt: This is a disgraceful way to treat your parents.Your parents deserve dignity—while they’re living and even after they stop breathing. No generation—Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z—has any right to anything that was not freely given to them.Your parents’ home is not your inheritance to claim early. Their pension is not your piggy bank. Their freedom is not yours to revoke because it’s inconvenient for you to actually care for them.A fall does not mean a life sentence. A moment of vulnerability does not give you permission to strip someone of everything they are.

A Call to Do Better

If your parent falls, help them up. Move in with them. Check on them daily. Hire in-home help. Modify their house. Be present.Do not warehouse them so you can raid their life’s work.They raised you. They sacrificed for you. They gave you the foundation you’re standing on.The least you can do is let them live—and die—with dignity.

Have you witnessed this happen to someone you love? I’d like to hear your story. And if you haven’t yet, read “Just As I Am”—a story born from watching this tragedy unfold in real life.

Here are some truths worth knowing…

Generational Responsibility: Moving Beyond Blame and Toward Action

While Millennials and Gen X face real economic challenges, blaming Baby Boomers for their financial struggles overlooks deeper cultural shifts in mindset and personal responsibility. History shows Boomers overcame severe adversity through frugality, hard work, and self-reliance—values that remain relevant today. Millennials who reject the blame narrative and embrace actionable financial discipline, such as Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps, are proving that personal accountability is still the most effective path to financial independence.

Blaming Baby Boomers for the financial difficulties faced by Millennials and Gen X is, in many cases, an oversimplification that ignores both historical context and the power of personal responsibility. While it’s true that the cost of living has risen and economic conditions have changed, Boomers also faced significant adversity—such as double-digit inflation and sky-high mortgage rates—yet responded with a mindset of frugality, delayed gratification, and self-reliance. Today, a cultural shift toward instant gratification, externalized blame, and increased reliance on government assistance has contributed to a victimhood narrative among some younger generations. However, many Millennials who reject this narrative and instead focus on actionable steps—like those outlined in Dave Ramsey’s financial philosophy—are successfully building wealth and achieving independence.

1. Generational Mindset Gap: Work Ethic, Frugality, and Responsibility

Baby Boomers:

Core Values: Hard work, perseverance, loyalty, and the belief that success is earned, not given.
Financial Habits: Frugality, saving diligently, avoiding unnecessary debt, and practicing delayed gratification.
Attitude Toward Assistance: Strong stigma against government dependency; self-reliance was a point of pride.
Cultural Narrative: Setbacks were internalized as personal challenges to overcome, not blamed on external forces .

Millennials & Gen X:

Core Values: Flexibility, agility, and seeking purpose or fulfillment in work.
Financial Habits: Greater focus on experiences, instant gratification, and pragmatic use of debt.
Attitude Toward Assistance: More openness to government support and systemic solutions; increased focus on external barriers.
Cultural Narrative: Greater tendency to attribute setbacks to systemic issues, sometimes fostering a sense of victimhood or entitlement . | Dimension | Baby Boomers | Millennials & Gen X | | —————————- | ————————————- | ——————————————– | | Work Ethic | Earn what you have, loyalty | Flexibility, purpose-driven | | Financial Responsibility | Frugality, saving, delayed rewards | Experience-focused, instant gratification | | Attitude to Assistance | Self-reliance, stigma on welfare | Openness to support, systemic critique | | Narrative on Success/Failure | Personal responsibility | Systemic barriers, externalized blame |

2. Historical Examples: Boomers Overcoming Adversity

1970s-80s Economic Turmoil: Boomers faced double-digit inflation and mortgage rates as high as 17%. Instead of relying on government aid, they responded by aggressively paying down debt, practicing minimalism, and prioritizing savings .
Debt Aversion: Consumer debt was avoided; Boomers aimed to be debt-free before retirement.
Steady Investing: Despite market downturns, Boomers invested consistently and lived below their means.
Cultural Frugality: Many Boomers repaired rather than replaced, bought in bulk, and delayed gratification to build long-term wealth .

Boomers’ financial discipline was forged in adversity, not ease. Their wealth-building habits were rooted in a culture of self-reliance and long-term planning.

3. Cultural Shift: From Self-Reliance to Victimhood

Boomers: Internalized setbacks, focused on what they could control, and saw government assistance as a last resort.
Millennials/Gen X: Greater focus on external barriers (e.g., student debt, housing costs), amplified by social media and cultural narratives that sometimes encourage blame and entitlement .
Result: While some economic challenges are real, the core difference is a shift in mindset—from “What can I do?” to “Who is to blame?” .

4. Millennials Succeeding Through Personal Responsibility

Despite the narrative, many Millennials are rejecting blame and building wealth through:

Budgeting and Saving: 59% prioritize saving, 41% stick to budgets, and 42% focus on debt payoff.
Side Hustles: 44% consider second jobs or side gigs to boost income.
Financial Literacy: Leveraging online resources and communities for education and support.
FIRE Movement: Many Millennials are pursuing Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) through aggressive saving and investing .

Millennials who embrace personal responsibility and disciplined financial habits are disproving the notion that generational circumstances are destiny.

5. Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps: A Roadmap for Financial Responsibility

Dave Ramsey’s program offers a practical, actionable path for Millennials (and anyone) to take control of their finances:

Step	Description	Key Principle
1	Save $1,000 for a starter emergency fund	Build a buffer against small emergencies
2	Pay off all debt (except mortgage) using the debt snowball	Motivation through quick wins
3	Save 3–6 months of expenses in a fully funded emergency fund	Safety net for major life events
4	Invest 15% of household income in retirement	Prioritize long-term wealth
5	Save for children’s college fund	Plan for future generations
6	Pay off your home early	Achieve financial freedom
7	Build wealth and give	Generosity and legacy
Core Ramsey Principles:

Live below your means and avoid lifestyle inflation.
Attack debt with intensity (debt snowball method).
Build an emergency fund before investing or increasing lifestyle spending.
Take personal responsibility: “Personal finance is 80% behavior and 20% head knowledge.”
Avoid blaming external factors; focus on what you can control.
Hard work and hustle are essential for breaking cycles of debt and dependency .

Dave Ramsey Quote:
“You have to control the person in their mirror.”
“There’s freedom on the other side of debt. You don’t have to live like everyone else.”

Blaming Boomers for today’s economic challenges is not only historically inaccurate but also disempowering. Boomers faced—and overcame—serious adversity through a culture of self-reliance, frugality, and hard work. Millennials who reject the blame narrative and instead embrace personal responsibility, disciplined money management, and actionable steps like Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps are proving that financial independence is still achievable. The most effective path forward is not to point fingers, but to take ownership and act.

Read the story on Reedsy and tell me what you think in the comments below. Thanks

The Art of the Deal: What’s Really in Trump’s Drug Pricing Agreements?

An Opinion Piece on Transparency, Pharmaceutical Interests, and the Curious Timing of Hemp Industry Regulations

Donald Trump has always prided himself on being a dealmaker. His book, The Art of the Deal, famously acknowledges that not everyone walks away happy when the ink dries. That’s the nature of negotiation—someone wins, someone loses, and often, the details remain hidden from those most affected by the outcome.I’ve been paying close attention to the deals coming out of this administration, and I find it troubling that the American public rarely learns what’s actually in them. We hear the headlines. We see the press conferences. But the fine print? That stays behind closed doors.

The Lower Drug Prices Announcement

Let’s take the recent announcement on lower drug prices. On the surface, it sounds like a win for consumers. Who wouldn’t want more affordable medications?But here’s the question no one seems to be asking: What did the pharmaceutical industry get in return?Deals are, by definition, exchanges. If drug companies agreed to lower their prices, what incentive did they receive? What concession was made on their behalf?

A Curious Coincidence: The Federal Crackdown on Hemp

Shortly after the lower drug prices were announced, federal agencies turned their attention to the hemp industry with surprising intensity. For those who follow both markets, the timing raised eyebrows.Was this a coincidence? Perhaps. But consider this: hemp and CBD products have emerged as direct competitors to a wide range of pharmaceutical drugs—often at a fraction of the cost and without requiring a prescription or doctor’s visit.Could restricting the hemp industry have been part of the deal?

What Hemp and CBD Offer Consumers

To understand why pharmaceutical companies might view the hemp industry as a threat, consider the health benefits these products claim to provide:CBD (Cannabidiol) Benefits:

Pain Relief – Interacts with the endocannabinoid system to reduce inflammation
Anxiety and Stress Reduction – Helps alleviate symptoms of anxiety disorders
Sleep Improvement – Promotes relaxation and reduces insomnia
Epilepsy Treatment – FDA-approved (Epidiolex) for rare seizure disorders
Neuroprotective Properties – Potential benefits for Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and MS
Anti-inflammatory Effects – May benefit arthritis and autoimmune conditions
Addiction Management – May help reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms
Heart Health – Could lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular function
Skin Conditions – Topical applications for acne, eczema, and psoriasis

Hemp Seeds, Oil, and Protein Benefits:

Nutrient-Rich – High in vitamins E, D, and A, plus essential minerals
Complete Protein – Contains all 9 essential amino acids
Heart Health – Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids improve cholesterol levels
Digestive Health – High fiber supports gut health
Hormonal Balance – GLA may reduce PMS and menopause symptoms
Energy and Weight Management – Promotes sustained energy and satiety

Note: While these benefits are promising, more research is needed, and individual results may vary.

The Competition: Pharmaceutical Alternatives

Now consider the pharmaceutical drugs that treat these same conditions—and the prices attached to them:

Condition	Pharmaceutical Options
Pain Relief	Opioids (OxyContin, Vicodin), NSAIDs (Celebrex), Gabapentin, Lyrica
Anxiety/Stress	Zoloft, Lexapro, Xanax, Ativan, Valium
Sleep Issues	Ambien, Lunesta, Trazodone
Epilepsy	Depakote, Keppra, Lamictal, Epidiolex
Inflammation	Prednisone, Methotrexate, Humira
Addiction	Suboxone, Methadone, Chantix
Heart Health	Lipitor, Crestor, Lisinopril
Skin Conditions	Tretinoin, Protopic, Humira
Digestive Issues	Remicade, Asacol, Miralax
Hormonal Balance	HRT, oral contraceptives, SSRIs

These medications require prescriptions, doctor visits, and often expensive medical tests. They generate billions in revenue for pharmaceutical companies—and for the broader healthcare system.

Who Wins and Who Loses?

Here’s the central question: If you can walk into a local vape shop and try hemp products—much like visiting GNC for supplements—who benefits, and who loses?When consumers can self-select affordable, over-the-counter alternatives to treat common symptoms, the following parties see reduced revenue:

Pharmaceutical companies – Fewer prescriptions filled
Doctors and clinics – Fewer office visits
Imaging centers and hospitals – Fewer diagnostic tests
Pharmacies – Lower prescription volume

Conversely, if hemp products are restricted or banned, consumers are funneled back into the traditional healthcare pipeline—often seeing a PA or NP instead of a physician, cycling through multiple medications to find one that works, and paying significantly more in the process.

The Call for Transparency

Here’s my bottom line: There needs to be full transparency in these deals.After recent revelations about mismanaged funds in learning centers and other federally funded programs, it’s clear we need stronger oversight mechanisms. We have the IRS to track tax compliance—why don’t we have an equivalent agency to track where our tax dollars actually go and to provide public accountability for these high-stakes agreements?The American people deserve to know:

What concessions were made in the drug pricing deal?
Why did the federal crackdown on hemp follow so closely?
Who benefits from these arrangements—and at whose expense?

Until we get answers, we’re left speculating about deals made in our name but without our knowledge.

What do you think? Is there a connection between lower drug prices and the hemp crackdown, or is it just coincidence? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

What a Vermont Farmhouse Novel Taught Me About GMO Corn

Writing for the ADHD

As a writer, I’m no stranger to research rabbit holes—especially the kind that start with a simple “why?”After completing Nothing But Time—a literary fiction novel about redemption, second chances, and learning to live after a lifetime of existing—I found myself pulled into unexpected territory. The book follows a retired workaholic who inherits a Vermont farmhouse from a deceased friend, along with an urgent final message about what it means to be alive. Originally written in 1985 and restored in 2026, the story required me to understand something I’d only glimpsed as a child: farming.

A Memory Resurfaces

My uncle had a farm in Minnesota. When I was very young, he set me on a yellow tractor and pointed me toward a field. That memory has never faded.While researching modern agriculture online, I discovered Laura Wilson‘s story on Pioneer’s website—and that childhood memory came flooding back. Laura and her husband Grant are working farmers whose videos gave me the inspiration I needed. In Nothing But Time, my protagonist Jack Harper learns what I learned watching them: that farming is both simpler and far more complicated than most people imagine.

The Question That Stopped Me

One detail in Laura and Grant’s videos made me pause. They mentioned the cost of corn seed—roughly $110 per box, covering about two and a half acres—and then said something I didn’t expect:It’s illegal to replant your own seed.They didn’t elaborate. They stated it as fact and moved on. But I couldn’t.

Why Can’t Farmers Save Their Own Seed?

The answer leads to one name: Monsanto (now part of Bayer).The seed Laura and Grant purchase is genetically modified—what consumers know as “GMO.” Farmers are legally prohibited from saving and replanting patented seeds because seed companies hold intellectual property rights over modern crop varieties, particularly genetically engineered or hybrid strains. These protections give corporations exclusive control over how their products are used, including the right to ban replanting.The strictest restrictions apply to utility-patented seeds (most GMOs), where saving and replanting is prohibited outright. For some other protected varieties, limited saving for personal use may be allowed, but selling or sharing is not. Enforcement comes through a combination of patent law, licensing contracts, and active monitoring by seed companies.

What Genetic Modification Does to Corn

Here’s what modern GMO corn is engineered to do:1. Resist Pests Bt corn contains a gene from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis that produces a protein toxic to insects like the European corn borer but reportedly safe for humans and animals. This reduces the need for chemical pesticides. The open question: how confident can we be about long-term human ingestion of these proteins?2. Tolerate Herbicides GM corn is engineered to survive specific herbicides such as glyphosate, allowing farmers to kill weeds without harming their crop. This simplifies weed management and can reduce soil-eroding tilling.3. Increase Yields Researchers have altered genes like zmm28 to function as growth triggers, producing varieties that yield up to 10 percent more than conventional types.4. Reduce Chemical Use By decreasing reliance on pesticides and herbicides, GM corn can contribute to more sustainable practices—at least in theory.5. Improve Nutritional Content Some varieties are biofortified with higher levels of vitamin A, lysine, or tryptophan, targeting nutritional deficiencies in regions where corn is a dietary staple.6. Adapt to Climate Stress GMO corn can be engineered to withstand drought, temperature extremes, or poor soil—extending viable growing regions.

The Health Question No One Wants to Fund

Here’s what concerns me: while no long-term human health studies exist, laboratory rats fed GMO corn have shown evidence of prediabetic conditions and organ changes. That alone should warrant rigorous, independent research.Why doesn’t it exist? Consider the economics:

U.S. GMO corn gross sales (2025 est.): ~$14 billion annually, projected to reach $19.8 billion by 2035
Global GMO corn market (2023): $264 billion, expected to grow to $440 billion by 2033
U.S. adoption rate: More than 90 percent of American corn production uses genetically engineered varieties

With that much revenue at stake, the absence of funded long-term health research feels less like an oversight and more like a choice. Which government officials are looking the other way? What financial relationships exist between regulators and seed corporations? I suspect transparency there would be illuminating—and uncomfortable.

The Takeaway

Know what’s in your food. If it’s overprocessed and genetically modified, I’d recommend caution.And as for me—I’d love to go back to that Minnesota farm. To remember the quiet. The only sounds at night were wind through the trees or distant thunder rolling across the fields.

Did you find this post useful, informative, or entertaining? Drop a comment below.