Well, if there is no rules in local groups stating "no fiction" or whatever, I'd still super suggest giving those groups a shot; most of the group was old ladies when I joined mine. And let me tell ya, waltzing in and saying "for my first impression, allow me to read a rape and death scene I wrote!" was.... Not my brightest moment. However, now I get warm welcomes and hugs and whatever advice they can extend even though my writing isn't what they're used to or know well. Sure, sometimes you're going to be baffled by how many fantasy things are seemingly not common knowledge (I had to explain what a siren was when I brought a pirate story, for example.) but sometimes you're going to get a wildly different take on your work in a perspective you would have never thought of before. If it ain't a break from a perceived echo chamber, I don't know what is hah;;;
And I believe simply being there makes other younger folks who wander in feel a bit less out of place.
Not to mention being included really puts you in the know; if I weren't in mine I wouldn't know that my area's professional editors are holding an event thing where folks can submit their stuff and get to go through and learn the process of working with an editor free of charge. I wouldn't have known about writing contests and that a local library is hiring an in-house writer to help folks with their writing and publishing...
Of course, you know your community better than I so if it really isn't an option that... super sucks, I guess, but I donno. food for thought.
