The Writing Journey (aka the Journey) is the year-round, a la carte writing group that is associated with the Naperville region of National Novel Writing Month. It is a fee-free writing group where all are welcome to participate in our many Paths. A Path is an activity or event or project that one or more Journey participants creates and coordinates. Paths can be a one-time social event like a lunch or dinner out at a restaurant or a picnic or they can be as complex as a short story anthology. Some recent popular Paths include: short story anthologies, the (in-person) Critiquing group, the Accountability Path, the query path, the the Editing Path, the MiniWriMo challenge (10k in 2 weeks), the Writer's Voice workshop, Shakespeare Reader's Theatre, the Japanesey/Asian Paths, the Writing Excuses Master Class and the Poetry Path.

You do not need to be in the region to be a member of the Journey, though many of our events and activities are local. The Journey's core track are a series of monthly general meetings January through June and again in September (we take off July, August, October, November and December). Each general meeting typically features two interactive workshops (each presented by one or more volunteers) and some story walls (which are small group feedback/advice sessions). Our sponsors are the Woodridge Public Library and the Glen Ellyn Public Library, so the meetings will be held there (see writingjourney.org/events for logistics). Meetings are typically Saturday afternoons.

To join (or rejoin for existing Journey members), please take this survey: http://journey.naperwrimo.org/survey2017/

You can also post below and I'll update this list of members. Questions? Feel free to post below. We'll also gladly accept your suggestions.

2017 Journey Members

• NewMexicoKid
• Kat'sMeow
• Squiddish
• Animollya
• DJRM
• Cee-Bee
• Uniasus
• odd soul
• Kcswier
• samcadams
• KatherineWriting
• 
  IcicleFerret
• 
  cableshaft
• fishmama
• 
  anitairons
• 
  alkamy
• 
  pamebellezza
• 
  bdillvarga
• Sadierose
• b-writer
• AnnaVanEast
• CJEGV
• debko
• zora5128
  
  
• Basil Cliffside
• Mraen
• SheWrote
• Goddess_Astra
• NanoSue
• 
  Mary-Lynette
• 
  VictoriaGardner
• 
  Katrina Opulent
• 
  Grachael
• writertodd07
• TRRDEDEAN
• Janeoctric
• mochomito
• tireddadx3
• AriaDear
• MigratoryBird
• Awnna Marie
• diamondruby73
• eleanor.roth

i am seriously debating this...once the baby is born...i'll be back to just one part time job vs 2....and it would be fun to do some activities or just to have people to kick me in the ass and get me to write...or even just to get me out of the house before i go stir crazy with diapers and bottles

but, it's child #1...and "attend a path activity or take a MUCH needed nap while the baby sleeps?" so...i may have to see. It sounds like fun ever year i hear about it!

I'd like to keep working on writing. Maybe an every other week group. We could have a set time and day and we meet and work on whatever. You could write or edit or plot. Just something to keep us focused on what we are working on. I also really like the idea of one of those writer retreats. Somewhere peaceful and lovely to relax and write. If there were enough people interested we could probably get some place to give us a discount or let us use a meeting room.

Kat - I'm all up for a write of sorts before/after Journey meetings.

Paths - totally want to lead a new one Tim! where do I sign up for that? Kinda a social/research one

Uniasus wrote:Kat - I'm all up for a write of sorts before/after Journey meetings. Paths - totally want to lead a new one Tim! where do I sign up for that? Kinda a social/research one

Hi, Jenny,

Feel free to send out a mail to the larger list with your proposal; do you want time in the January general meeting to talk with people about this Path idea? You can also give more ideas about how it would work here. :-)

--Tim

I love the idea of a retreat. When? Where? How long? How much?

Eve Lomoro

I'm thinking a social path, with a reliance of novel research. Say someone's story involved space travel and they wanted more in on that, so we'd all go to Alder together. Or someone else needed knowledge of sword play, so we'd do a workshop or something at the european martial arts school. That sorta thing.

Uniasus wrote:I'm thinking a social path, with a reliance of novel research. Say someone's story involved space travel and they wanted more in on that, so we'd all go to Alder together. Or someone else needed knowledge of sword play, so we'd do a workshop or something at the european martial arts school. That sorta thing.

Sounds intriguing! I guess the Archery Path would fit in with that.

--Tim

I am going to go ahead and sign up...so i am already in the group...so i don't have to do it later if i decide i'm going stir crazy at home with the baby and need to get out and interact with people