A feckless facilitator

[monkeytree]

Hi
Sorry this is a bit more of a rant than anything else though it could fall within the realms of aibu?

I have been attending a small writing group - only about 5 of us. The group hasn't been running for very long - a few months and the facilitator has cancelled at least 3 or 4 times within that time with no really good reason given- once it was on the actual day of the meet up which are supposed to run fortnightly.

The thing is, this person has the most experience - has published etc and I think we all look to them for advice etc as the rest of the group has only really started writing.

Aibu to find it really frustrating that they keep cancelling - once or twice would be o.k but 3 or 4 times? I probably need to find another group but I liked the way we are all inexperienced writers and also that we talk about our work and are not just given projects. I guess I just feel disappointed. It is also one that fits around me and my family commitments. Aibu?

Why do you need a facilitator? If you are all writing, surely you can critique each other's work without someone who has achieved the holy grail of publication? It sounds like they are pretty hopeless, so I would just ditch and carry on regardless, if otherwise the group is gelling and on a similar level. (Don't know, maybe most writing groups have facilitators? The most successful one I have been a member of didn't but everyone got on, had a similar attitude and probably working on similar levels).

Hi Dontrocktheboat

Yes us others are at a similar level and get on well and that's what we've done, we are meeting up regardless. At first everything was postponed around this one person but I think the penny has dropped that they are pretty unreliable so we are carrying on regardless. This person started the group and was organising the dates and times of the meet ups but the novelty seems to have quickly Waned. We are a small group and could do with a couple more members really because if two people can't make it, it becomes unviable and I thought that was what they were going to do the founder I mean. It was nice to think someone else was doing all the organising - I already run another group for a different purpose and take responsibility for its organisation so don't really want to the same with this one.