The table’s set for tea. China cups orbit the regal teapot who stands with her nose in the air, their depths brimming with steaming, gold liquid, their fragile bodies constantly being lifted to meet the lips of the diners. It’s a tea party for the writing enthusiast, a social event where words are written, reviewed, improved, exchanged and discussed. It’s a haven for creativity, an incubator of the ideas that will one day blossom into plots, hot blooded characters and glorious dialogue. Aspiring writers and grand professionals alike visit this tea party to reflect upon the publishing industry, review each other’s work and natter about all things under the sun. Tea is drunk and topics bounce back and forth across the table; tennis balls in a Wimbledon final. The diners exchange ideas and post stories between themselves. This is a creative writing community. It honours the art of writing and propels the artists forward by improving their skills and critiquing their work. The community has a name: Great Writing. A writing forum home to thousands of writers worldwide, one that aims to boost writers to new, lofty heights. The tea party is, of course, metaphorical. If it existed at all it would exist merely in cyber space. But the tea party represents Great Writing, an interactive writing website that stands for sharing and salutes creativity.
I am a member of this writing community. A hatchling, really. I joined Great Writing (or GW, as it’s known) just last month but I’m already addicted – visiting the site almost daily to see what people have posted and to read the fresh work. I also check my own stuff, naturally. See if anybody has left any comments lying around. And of course it’s intoxicating to watch the little “number of views” figure surge up, from 0 views to over 200. To know that so many people have read and possibly enjoyed my work is a sensation I thought only professional authors could enjoy. But with GW it’s easy to publish your work and receive the feedback we all crave. So one day I decided that I had the responsibility to spread news of GW’s existence. GW only has 1000 odd members. Surely there are countless writers on this planet in need of a guiding light. So I posted a topic. Anybody want to be interviewed? Tell me why you joined GW and what you like about it. Then I sat back and watched the replies flood in. Slow at first, like the first drops of a tropical downpour, then faster and faster as the storm hit hard. Here are my results. I do this in the hope that this article will spread awareness of the existence of GW, and will, in essence, help the writing nation!
GW is used by many different people and for a variety of different reasons, and as a result the sheer diversity of work posted in the forums is astounding. A user named “Nic”, for example, only posts true stories, and his retelling of the hilarious (and often animal themed) events that happened in his village always makes enjoyable reading. When asked why he uses GW, he said: “I love sharing my experiences with others. Seeing that others have read my work is lovely, and receiving feedback is great. I love storytelling.” Another Great Writer, named “jg” said that he uses the site to “Talk about writing, learn others experiences, and learn about the industry.” GW writer “Sue” uses the website for similar reasons, adding that “I’m a professional author and have been on GW for 5 years. I use it to try out new ideas and if I get any positive reactions then I go ahead and develop them.” User “Deborah Hambrook” said that, “GW makes writing less lonely. It is scary giving reviews, but receiving them is really encouraging and helpful. By using GW, I have progressed as a writer.”
Great Writing isn’t just about improving skills and reviewing work. It is a living, breathing community where people know each other, talk to each other and make new friends. Users “Phil” and “Brett” developed their friendship further by actually meeting up at a café in Wales. Phil, who recommends GW because “the discipline of having to marshal your own thoughts and write a coherent and honest response to someone else’s writing can really make you look at your own writing in a different way”, says that he struck up a strong connection with Brett instantly. After many meetings and “numerous pints” (according to Brett), the two of them decided to set up their own publishing website, “Prole”. Prole is now a huge success, and has its roots planted firmly in GW, where two men found an unlikely, but lifelong friendship.
Great Writing is brimming with success stories. People use this website to talk about their common love: a passion for writing and the art of storytelling. In the future, the consensus is that devices such as Facebook will be obliterated, replaced instead by individual forums like GW. A forum for every hobby, every need, every person. GW has improved many people’s lives; it has even spawned its own published and famous authors. All GW users live in the hope that perhaps one day they, too will turn from a Great Writer into a great writer.
