An engaging, creepy old woman's fate was changed forever one night in Sugar House.

The woman is actually a character in a short story, and the story was being critiqued by the Salt Lake Writers Group.

Writers gather twice a month to read and critique each other's stories. Members of the group submit a variety of work — short stories, poems, essays, memoirs — for the other members of the group to take home and read. They return ready with feedback and questions.

At the group's recent get-together at Barnes & Noble in Sugar House, writers gathered amid the sound of coffee machines and shuffle of passing customers to talk about the story of the old woman. Writers found the story engaging and offered suggestions on everything from punctuation placement to the level of creepiness the character should display. Bursts of laughter peppered the conversation during the meeting as participants shared what they liked about the stories and what they didn't.

Doug Alderman, a former computer programmer, began the group in June 2005 to provide a forum for writers. "I think my work is better with the help of the group," said Alderman, who has been a full-time writer since 2003. He plans to self-publish a collection of his short stories and is working on a novel.

Face-to-face interaction, he says, is more helpful than any online writers group. The informal forum has had a flow of participants that come and go.

George Coon, a branch manager for a downtown bank, said he comes to the group meetings for fun and to develop his skill.

"I realized I hit a point in my writing where I knew I was doing some wrong things; I just didn't know what they were," Coon said. "I knew I could get better, but I couldn't self-teach myself anymore."

Coon, who wants to write children's books, said he uses the group to get his ideas onto paper. He wants to get published but is ultimately there to have fun and to become a better writer.

Retired physician assistant Connie King came for her second time to the meeting to find out what others think of her poetry, something she has been writing throughout her life but only now has presented before a critical group.

"It's a large part of my life that has been a secret," King said. "For the most part, it's personal and mine."

"I would like to get published," said Vanessa Fravel. "If that doesn't happen, at least I am able to get it out and get it on paper where I wanted it to be."

While the possibility of being published lurks in all the group members' hearts, they seem content with wherever their writing takes them — or doesn't.

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E-mail: bcaballero@desnews.com