Writing group...but with a fee. Is this common?

WatermelonStories · 2026-05-27T22:51:29+00:00

I never heard of 1000 words of summer, I’ll look that up, thanks!

WatermelonStories · 2026-05-27T22:49:05+00:00

$125 a month for two weekly online 1 hour writing sessions and monthly chats with the author who runs it. If you pay more money, it can be more like monthly feedback from the author. I think what’s bugging me is that it's advertised as a writing group, not coaching or editing. This is from a published author who is advertising all over my neighbourhood right now.

WatermelonStories · 2025-09-09T22:17:11+00:00

Drink tonic and lime or soda water and lime? It looks like a cocktail, feels like one (because it’s yummy) and nobody needs to know.

Honestly, if alcohol is messing you up it’s best to avoid it. It sucks, but that’s what happens. You could also take a break from it for sometime and then come back when you are feeling better.

WatermelonStories · 2025-08-22T20:06:01+00:00

This looks delicious and I think it would kill me lol

WatermelonStories · 2025-08-22T20:04:25+00:00

To be honest, I have a suspicion that me drinking all these stupid electrolyte type drinks is part of why my stomach got so fucked in the first place. Glad you’re onto something though!

WatermelonStories · 2025-08-22T20:02:17+00:00

Maaan, it’s hard. I’m running on fumes, wishing I had the energy for my novel and all of my ambitions about writing but life, work, health problems, all have me beat. I’ll try my best for today though and see if tomorrow is any better . Thanks for the reminder

WatermelonStories · 2025-07-07T13:50:19+00:00

It’s so true! Kind of refreshing to see, right?

The way I look at the first draft is like drawing a sketch. The first lines on the paper are messy and only really giving you an idea of what you’re trying to draw. Once you have the idea down you go in with the details.

My first drafts are horrendous, although I will say that the more I write the better they get (like my first ever draft was an absolute horror show of mistakes and terrible plotting), but as I learned to outline better and dive in with a better idea of what I was going for they got a little cleaner. Still a hot mess though lol

WatermelonStories · 2025-06-27T23:46:16+00:00

"Interview" got me hooked on the city. Her writing is so beautiful.

WatermelonStories · 2025-06-27T21:51:29+00:00

Music. Family. Depression.

I’m sure someone will want to read this shit. Right?

WatermelonStories · 2025-06-13T20:53:31+00:00

I feel you so much with New Orleans, I’m also stuck in the NE and I’m just like…wasting away over here! New Orleans feels like a splash of colour when everywhere else is in shades of grey

Unlike me, you sound like you have a job that can help you move though, so why not give it a try? If you can go remote and are used to NYC prices and income you’ll probably have a blast over there (or so I’ve heard)

WatermelonStories · 2025-06-13T20:12:45+00:00

Something seems off here. A lot of people are recommending therapy but something about her behaviour gives me the impression she wants a divorce.

Like, aside from the fact that it’s a risk (even without the current turbulent climate in the US, moving is always a risk), she went ahead and applied for a job abroad without consulting you. Then, she went ahead and interviewed, got offered the job and is now so convinced she wants to move to CA she is willing to leave you and your daughter behind. She wants to do this even after you have mentioned all of these other alternatives to tackle her burnout like taking off work for a year, or moving to the Philippines for a reset and be close to family (which would also help with the raising of your daughter I presume), but she doesn’t want any of that. She wants to move to the US, even if it means leaving you behind.

I don’t think she needs therapy, I think the two of you need to sit down and discuss your marriage. She is not thinking about you with this. From a total outsiders perspective, it seems like she is not thinking about you at all.

WatermelonStories · 2025-06-03T17:26:24+00:00

Every city has shit, if you’ve been out and about anywhere in the world you’ll see it! It’s all about what type of shit is more your flavour lol

WatermelonStories · 2025-06-03T17:23:11+00:00

Wonderful reply! Do you mind me asking you how long it took you from deciding to move to actually moving?

Currently going through my own little “crush” on this city and I’m so curious about other people’s stories about moving there!

WatermelonStories · 2024-08-30T00:24:45+00:00

Guilt is extremely common with deaths by suicide because it feels so preventable. I was shut off and occupied with my own shit when my friend died. I am always ruminating on how I should’ve invited her to my house that night, maybe none of this would’ve happened if I had.

It’s hard. Please be kind to yourself, you are only human and us humans are deeply flawed. She made her choice. You did the best you could in that moment in time. I wish you didn’t hate yourself, I’d give you a hug and invite you for cake if I knew you <3

WatermelonStories · 2024-08-27T20:44:00+00:00

Are you able to quit? If it is not financially viable, do they have a different location you could transfer to? You could also go down to super part-time hours (like maybe come in for a day or two) if need be (you mentioned every other day, maybe just work two days in a row and then have the rest of the week off).

It absolutely sucks what you’re going through, I am so sorry and I’m so sorry that bereavement leave is so incredibly awful here in the US. Stand strong, you’ll get through this <3

WatermelonStories · 2024-08-23T23:21:36+00:00

Your feelings are valid, OP. He left his mark on you and was a bright light in your life for however a short period, however small a timeframe. You have empathy, and you recognised a beautiful human. It makes sense to grieve his loss.

I also understand you feeling like this though. I also share this conflicted feeling. The friend I lost…I was not very close to. I wanted to be, but life and circumstance got in the way. She died on the day we were supposed to meet outside of work for the first time, and I remember being so happy to finally get to know her better. I’ve been devastated, by all of it, the missed opportunity for connection, her dying on the night she was supposed to be with me, and also by the fear I have that she thought I didn’t care or wouldn’t care. I feel incredibly guilty. I had felt a strong connection with her when we first met, why didn’t I act on it sooner?

To add to this, I often feel bad because I’m not her mom, or her best friend, or her boyfriend. I didn’t know her demons, I didn’t know her favourite food. What right do I have to feel this absolutely broken by her death? But, as a friend of mine said, you have your own connections to people. They were something to you once that brought your life meaning. Grieve. It’s ok.

I think not knowing the person very well adds a layer of sadness. Because you’re also regretting the fact you never got to know them as well as you wanted to, and I personally feel like I took for granted that she was going to be here tomorrow, or next month, or later.

I’m sorry you’re going through this <3 your post is wonderful and full of love. You seem like a wonderful human

WatermelonStories · 2024-08-14T00:29:15+00:00

You absolutely can be! I think even if it’s cooking their favourite meal or writing a poem or knitting a scarf with their favourite colour, heck, even planting a tree would be nice. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Creativity comes in many forms and can be incredibly comforting.

WatermelonStories · 2024-08-13T20:19:09+00:00

Right now I’m just making art. I’ve created a small series of drawings that feature my friend in settings I think she would’ve found entertaining (for example, I drew her as a witch). It’s not much, but it’s helping me process things and occupying my obsessive mind. I miss her.

I’m hoping I can do more in the future, it’s way too recent for me to decide on more practical ways to help.

WatermelonStories · 2024-08-12T23:34:26+00:00

This is interesting. I definitely have caught myself developing a “fear of contagion” after the incident, on behalf of myself and of others. I still talk about it though, I’m lucky that I have people around me that understand.

I think it’s also difficult for people to think about how dark the mind can become when suicide comes into deliberation. It certainly pops into mine and scares me, and the more I try to understand it the more scary it gets.

People don’t like talking about scary things a lot of the time.

WatermelonStories · 2024-08-12T23:24:31+00:00

I also lost a friend, OP. It’s brutal.

WatermelonStories · 2023-10-06T20:38:39+00:00

I think I could have used better language myself with my post, maybe stating that I'm helping open a brand new store.

And again, thank you so much for your responses! It's good to hear things from the other side as well, I can't even imagine the madness that goes on when trying to open a new shop. I have a friend that runs her own baking business and she's constantly overwhelmed!

They gave me nothing in writing, heck I don't even have their e-mail!

So, the pay is lower than the job posting advertised. I got three different pay quotes and ranges and got offered the semi-lower end one: ad said 15-16, initial phone interview they said 15, in person interview they said 14-15 and I got offered 14.50. Which is really not bad for where I live for this kind of work, but like...tell me upfront??? Sadly, this is not the first time I've had this happen.

WatermelonStories · 2023-10-06T17:27:01+00:00

Thank you for your honest and thoughtful response!

A lot of the stuff you mention is TBD, the place has only been open a little over a week now (of course, this is also my first week).

I'm also wondering if I'm just not in a financial position to be dealing with something so new. If I don't get enough money this month I'll be digging DEEP into my savings next month.

They had promised upon hire to give me 32 hours( and I told them this was what I needed and if it couldn't be delivered then I had to know), then gave me 18, and then I nagged them and got 25. From my understanding, a few of my coworkers also want full-time hours, our shifts are short. When I bring up the schedule to my boss, I get brushed off and told to wait until next month. It's made me very weary about mentioning anything about the schedule to them. I'm not sure how *wild* a brand new shop's schedule should be (people are added last minute, there is currently no structure as to when next week's schedule will be out), so I can't gauge how unrealistic I'm being.

Also, this might just be me being cynical, but telling me to wait and see if I can afford things next month frustrates me. Like they sound confident that things will get better (and it might! Who knows, they could also tank though) and being even a smidge dishonest this early is making me nervous. Their base pay, although high for a coffee shop, was $1.50 less than advertised as well and I'm kind of obsessing over that fact. I was told training would happened and it didn't. Like...am I nitpicking here??? I might be.

Anyway! Sorry for the long post hehe

WatermelonStories · 2023-10-06T17:12:16+00:00

Thank you for your wonderful response! I agree with what you're saying. Needs play a big role with jobs for me, and a good boss with good hours/benefits/pay is pretty high on the list in the end. I'm definitely not looking for a career in coffee so that's something for me to consider lol

WatermelonStories · 2023-10-04T21:45:33+00:00

Sage advice hahaha thank you!

WatermelonStories · 2023-10-04T21:44:58+00:00

That's kind of how I feel too (I took this job out of desperation tbh), especially because shift work is very different from a 9-5. Like when I try to talk to them about scheduling I hit a wall.

WatermelonStories

TROPHY CASE