Professional writing organizations to join?

[tricon7]

I'm looking to join some kind of professional organization in order to get some good ideas for writing, as well as for it to possibly look good on a resume if I want to do some PT writing work. Is there one out there which may be better than another?

[Marlys]

Depends on your genre. Here are three of the bigger ones:

Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (http://www.sfwa.org/)

Mystery Writers of America (http://www.mysterywriters.org/)

Romance Writers of America (http://www.rwa.org/)

[tricon7]

Is there an organization that focuses more on grammar, style, and spelling improvements rather than a particular genre of writing (if these things can be separated)?

[Linda Adams]

For non-fiction, American Independent Writers (http://www.amerindywriters.org/). Most of the professional writing organizations are advoicates for the writers in that field or want to promote the genre--not for dealing with grammar, style, and spelling. Your best bet for that is probably a college.

[Ineti]

Is there an organization that focuses more on grammar, style, and spelling improvements rather than a particular genre of writing (if these things can be separated)?

Most, if not all, the professional writers organizations don't focus on this because, really, idea generation, grammar, style, and spelling are the basics of our craft. If you don't have a firm handle on those, best best is to take classes, online courses, or pick up some good books to help shore up those skills.

I'm a member of SFWA and IAMTW and they're professional organizations concerned about other levels of writing, not the basic building blocks. Business, finances, taxes, royalty rates, foreign sales, agents, editors, publishers, those are usually the larger concerns you'll find within the professional organizations.

As for what looks good on a resume, I guess it really depends on what sort of part-time writing work you're looking for. If the PT work is related to SFWA, RWA, MWA, Novelists Inc., IAMTW, and so forth, it might be relevant. Good luck!

[tricon7]

Most, if not all, the professional writers organizations don't focus on this because, really, idea generation, grammar, style, and spelling are the basics of our craft. If you don't have a firm handle on those, best best is to take classes, online courses, or pick up some good books to help shore up those skills.

Ok, maybe I meant the wrong thing. I suppose I was asking for an organization which focused on how to be a better professional writer without targeting a specific genre - my grammer and vocabulary are pretty good, so I'm not really looking for that.

I'll broswe through the different organizations and see what they have to offer. Thanks for the help.

[Catadmin]

I think you have a misconception about Professional Writers organizations. Most of them are there to support the writer with like minds, offer advice on publishing houses and editing services and agents, warn of bad deals, help with contract negotiation.

None of them exist to make a writer a better writer per say.

I think what you're looking for is a writer's workshop (Viable Paradise, Clarion, Odessy) instead of an actual Pro Writers Organization. Or perhaps a writers group (again, a different creature). Writers groups get together to critique each other's manuscripts and in that method assist with improving someone's writing. But Professional Writers Organizations don't do that.

[Jamesaritchie]

Ok, maybe I meant the wrong thing. I suppose I was asking for an organization which focused on how to be a better professional writer without targeting a specific genre - my grammer and vocabulary are pretty good, so I'm not really looking for that.

I'll broswe through the different organizations and see what they have to offer. Thanks for the help.

I'd say you should forget all about organizations. I don't know any that come remotely close to what you're looking for. It sounds like you need workshops or courses that focus on the business side of writing.

Though I'd also say that most genres are pretty much the same, in the sense that you seem to mean.

But if you do mean that you want to write better, no organization will help. For this you need writing courses, probably expensive and time-consuming ones, along with an insane amount of reading and writing.

[johnnysannie]

I'm with James in that no writers organization will help any writer to write better.

They can help with networking and provide valuable information.

I belong to the professional writers organization for my home state, Missouri, the Missouri Writers Guild. You must provide proof of publication to join. I also belong to the Ozark Writers League.

I am soon joiining the RWA as well (Romance Writers of America) on the advice of one of my publishers!