Amelia Eileen Wilde began writing in 2020 as a hobby. Though her passion was teaching history and music, she took a break from her career in 2019 to have children. Her sons kept her hands busy, but her mind yearned for continued development, learning, and a creative outlet. 

Writing became her solace, spilling story ideas onto pages after her children had gone to bed, and listening to writing podcasts while she went about her daily chores. Her Bachelors in History gave her experience in writing research papers, but when it came to the art of creative writing, she was a novice. 

Recognizing a need for a mentor, she searched for a critique group, eventually finding one led by Connie Weidel through the “Idaho Writer’s Guild.” These passionate writers were an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience, giving Amelia honest and constructive feedback on her work. 

After reworking the beginning of a novel with her critique group several times, Amelia submitted her first 10 pages to the 2021 IWG writing contest and tied for first place in her category. This serves as a testament that critique groups work, because without the aid of her own critique group, Amelia’s submission would have been full of endless dialogue tags, telling instead of showing, and extreme use of passive voice.

Amelia gratefully acknowledges the difference that her critique group has made in her writing, and hopes to continue improving in the craft.