How we became “The Other Bunch”

Feeling a need for an active writing community we — Pat, Bonnie, Jennifer and Dixie — began meeting once a month to critique one another’s work and talk about writing. We also hold annual writing retreats in places that inspire our writing muse, like Silver City, Idaho City and Boise back when Boise State hosted its annual bookfest. In addition to our “day” jobs, we regularly submit stories, essays and poems to publications and writing contests.
About five, maybe six years ago a college in northern Idaho was soliciting submissions for publication in a literary project. I, Dixie, emailed a poem to the director of that endeavor.
Within a couple of days I got an email from a local poet. I didn’t realize he had anything to do with the publication, but the email contained my poem, instructions to reject it and the remark, “She’s a local writer. There is a whole other bunch of them around here.” I forwarded that misdirected email to the director.
The Director replied with a quote from Burns, “The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft a-gley.”
On a subsequent writing retreat to Bonnie’s cabin in Featherville we four friends were laughing about the “other bunch” remark, wondering what the poet meant by it. We agreed that we each often felt like members of the “other bunch.”
Since the name stuck we decided to adopt it as our mantra and use it to attract other writers who may sometimes feel that they too are members of the “other bunch”.
The label has been a driving force. We have all published more stories and books since adopting it — Bonnie published a book about the early days of Twin Falls; Pat landed a book contract with Farrar, Straus and Giroux; Dixie published a collection of short stories and Jennifer got a book editing contract.
Today we are proud to call ourselves “The Other Bunch” and offer encouragement to other writers struggling to find their voice. There is strength in friendship.

Dixie Thomas Reale

Writing doesn’t have to be a lonely job

Before my support group, I found writing a lonely job, as much as I loved it. Unless you write with a partner, writing is one on one — you and your imagination, you and your computer. You are alone with your writing. But before my support group, there was no one to provide good constructive criticism, no one to brainstorm ideas with, no one to talk about the joys and terrors of finding that perfect sentence or chapter. I couldn’t talk writing to my husband or non-writing friends, who would look strangely at me when I wanted to talk about motivation and character arc. When I was in a slump, there was no one to whine to, no one to tell me that’s what all writers do and to get back to the computer.

Then, I took a creative writing class and met Bonnie Dodge and we started our writing support group. Along came Dixie Thomas Reale and Jenny Sandman and I’m so grateful for all of them. They all have different strengths and a good eye for finding grammar problems and inconsistencies. They tell me what works as much as what doesn’t work, and I learn from both. I’m sure I would not have been published without them.

Of course, finding the right group can be difficult. You need people who can be tough, but always positive, people who will give you encouragement even if those pages you sent them were really bad. You need people who love to write. People who love to read. And you must also be a good writing critique member.

Over the years, we have been friends as well as critique partners… a wonderful side benefit. Without them, writing would truly have been a lonely job.

Patricia Marcantonio

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to our site. As writers, we love to share our stories as well as our angst about the writing life. Cumulatively, we have experience in several forms of writing including newspaper writing, screenwriting, essays, fiction and nonfiction. We also have experience in editing and critiquing, as well as having conducted workshops on writing with your senses, screenwriting, and how to write columns. One of our authors is even an avid rockhound with her own rock shop in King Hill, Idaho! We look forward to your questions and comments, and hope you will check back often to see what’s new.