Found Me Some Peeps

...and I'm not talking Easter Peeps! Where do you go to find a crew that will have your back? I was struggling with this question for several days and tried a couple of options. In particular, I needed to find writing buddies.
I joined some online discussion groups. This didn't seem like such a bad idea at first, and some blogs recommended finding critique groups this way. Uh-uh. This isn't for me I figured out quickly. A critique does no good if it's coming from writers who aren't on your level or readers who don't give specific enough feedback.

Blogs will give you some really fantastic advice, but they won't read your writing, slap you when it's bad, encourage you when it's good, motivate you when you slump, and guide you when you're lost.
When I finally found a group, it was where I should've looked first. I've been using a site for the last two years with phenomenal success,  a social networking site that specializes in face-to-face contact. I finally searched for writers on Meetup and found a group that sounded right for me. Jackpot!

My first meeting was more than I could have hoped for. The group reviewed each other's work, offered specific and constructive feedback, offered encouragement, and had no problem covering any genre, including poetry and screenwriting. I got nothing but warm fuzzies about all the group members. Yes, I'm pretty sure I found me some peeps. I'm excited now to submit some of my own work to see what I can do to improve.

I wish everyone luck with finding their own peeps. Maybe you'll have a better experience with online groups, but the face time suits me well. What have you done to find your own support and encouragement?

PS, we met at All American Grill in San Diego, and I had the Salinas salad – Yum!  Highly recommended.