Why is this writers group called The TEN?

Good question. You can stay.

In 2009, I started my first writers group.

I was living in a place called Atwater Village, about a 30-minute drive from Hollywood, where I was covering the film industry for the Guardian newspaper and other publications, including the Australian Sydney Herald.

At that time, Atwater was considered a long way from, well, everything but I loved it. It was a sleepy village with amazing coffee shops, bike trails, a most excellent farmer’s market and the best taco truck in town (Hugo’s).

I placed an ad on Craig’s List looking for writers who were after a safe space to share their work. I was writing screenplays and needed to be held accountable and I also wanted to share my ideas.

As a journalist, I’ve always been good at getting the job done but workshopping stories and bringing new pages to the table every week for critique is an exceptional way to keep any writer on their toes.

My ad said something along the lines of ‘No time wasters. This is for people who are serious about their writing. If you decide to join you must commit to turning up every Monday night from 7pm-9.30pm. And bring snacks!’

Many people enquired but on the night four women turned up. The next week three turned up. That made four of us in total. For the next two years, every Monday evening, the same three women would turn up a my apartment with their new pages and yes, you guessed it, snacks were served (as I recall, grapes were very popular).

Everyone was given equal time to share their work. They would read their words, we would talk about it and then give critique (never criticism). I’d always end the session with a few motivational nuggets and words of writing wisdom.

It was brilliant fun. Out of that small but mighty group we birthed two memoirs, a children’s story, two optioned screenplays, a musical and lifelong friendships.

I always finished our sessions by emphasising that to get to the end of their project they must find a good chunk of time in the week to write.

Five hours is okay. Ten is solid. Twenty will get the work done faster. Before you know it, you’ll be hugging a manuscript and sobbing tears of joy (before you start on the rewrites!).

That’s a lot of hours on top of full-time work, relationships and family. But it’s doable if you really want it.

The second - equally important - reason plays into my sensibilities as a journalist.

I’ve fashioned a curious, compelling and entertaining ten-question questionnaire for published writers, allowing them to share their thoughts about their personal writing process and experience.

Ten questions throws up enough new information to make you nod your head and murmur, “Mmmm, yes. I get it…and now I feel inspired!”

My goal with this group is to give you the motivation, inspiration and accountability you need to finish your project.

The Q&A is a very important tool in that toolbox.

I want you to look forward to lounging here because of the great-reads, useful information, personal stories about writing and other magazine elements, which I hope will grow over time.

So in homage to both the effort needed and the irresistably useful content that is coming at you over the horizon, the name of this writer’s group is The TEN.

And if it births a community of like-minded, gorgeous talented souls, in the same way that my group did in Atwater Village all those years ago, I’ll be a very happy writer/cheerleader indeed.

Lisa