Red Ore Writers provides community for writers to find feedback and growth

CRYSTAL FALLS — One Crystal Falls couple is using their experience and passion for writing to support others on their writing journey.

Doug and Bethany Leonard are the coaches of Red Ore Writers. They’ve been meeting every other Sunday throughout the fall with other writers from the area who want to share their work.

The purpose of Red Ore Writers is to provide a comfortable space for writers of any skill level to come together to encourage one another and further develop their abilities.

“Doug and I have been so enriched with the writing that we do together, and we’re so fortunate that we have each other to read our writing and give feedback,” said Bethany. “But we know a lot of times people don’t have somebody to do that for them. So that’s a lot of what we do in the group. We have a great variety of what they’re working on, and we have really different writers. There’s one writer who has already been published, and then we have somebody who has never shared their writing with anybody since English class. So we enjoy working with all those different kinds of writing and all those different kinds of writers.”

During each meeting, writers share their work with the group and receive feedback from the other members. The group also reviews key writing skills that allow writers to better engage the reader.

Every member of Red Ore Writers has to submit something for each meeting. The Leonards say this is a great way to motivate someone who has been wanting to write more to actually sit down and do it.

“A big part of why people come to a group like this because they find it motivating for their own writing,” said Doug. “They want to write, they think they’re going to write, but they’re just home and they don’t get started. But if they join a group like this, they start writing. They’re writing every week and getting feedback, and they start to really enjoy the experience.”

Red Ore Writers is part of the Upper Peninsula Publishers & Authors Association. In addition to coaching the writing group, the Leonards are also scheduled to present the first pre–conference workshop for that organization next June.

The 2019 fall session for Red Ore Writers ends on November 17th, but Doug and Beth are considering starting up another session in the spring due to the great response they’ve received over the last few weeks.

For more information on Red Ore Writers, you can visit their website here.