Join or start a writer's group

Shame can be a great motivator. Envy, too. So can wonderful support.

Join or start a writer's group, and you get all three.  First, it's just plain down embarrassing to show up week after week at your group meeting empty handed. Writers write. If you're not writing, why do you keep showing up?

At least that's what you think that the other members are thinking. Which is as good as them thinking it, although the truth is more likely that they are thinking, "Good! Since she didn't bring anything there'll be more time to work on the piece I brought," or "The poor thing is truly blocked. I wonder if we gave her some of this wine if that would help shake some words loose out of her?"

Then, though writers would never envy one another, if somebody just got her third novel published and you are still perfecting your opening sentence, you might experience something like envy, only much more evil. Please do not take out your failures on your successful friend. She got her book published. If you don't write your book, you can't blame anyone but yourself. So bring her a bottle of champagne and buy copies of her book to give all of your friends for Christmas. Also, write good reviews on Amazon for her. And then, put your butt in the chair and write your own book. It doesn't even have to be good. Just write it.

The third thing is that writers are very supportive of each other. Keep showing up, and they'll keep telling you to write. Bring something you've written, and they'll help you make it better. You'll get into a rhythm that might look like pulling an all-nighter the night before the meeting just so you won't be empty handed, but at least you wouldn't be empty handed -- and you'll be making progress on something.

You'll also learn a lot from the discussion about other people's work. And, you'll get to read some great stuff before it's published!

Finding -- or starting -- the right writer's group is probably a matter of trial and error. Four friends and I started a writing group long ago and called it "Deadline Club" because we had all found out we wrote better with a deadline, so we imposed one once a month. We would mail out our submission for the month one week in advance, giving people time to read and critique it. Then we would give each person's work fifteen minutes of discussion. That group grew and lasted almost 20 years! Unfortunately, as the membership changed, we got the inevitable lunatic who managed to be offended by everyone and offend a few of us, so people quit coming. The truth is, the group had run through its life cycle. For everything there is a beginning, middle and end. Those were my most productive years, though, because if you didn't produce something three meetings in a row, you were OUT.

I got invited to join another writer's group and went for a while. These people were hostile. (One was a therapist and one was a minister. Go figure.) Or maybe that was their form of humor. One woman (a teacher) told me that she didn't like one of my stories because she didn't like people like the main character. Bad chemistry, irrelevant comments. I moved on.

Tonight I'm going to a different writer's group that has been kind enough to keep inviting me. These people are fully engaged in their novels, showing up week after week with new chapters, revisions and more stuff. One woman just ditched her first draft and is re-writing in first person. I can't keep track of who has had books published, but several have. The meetings start on time, end on time and are very focused -- and full of laughter. I feel privileged to be included. And very motivated, too.

What's your experience with writer's groups?

Comments

[Rebecca Laffar-Smith]

*chuckles* I love this line, "You'll get into a rhythm that might look like pulling an all-nighter the night before the meeting just so you won't be empty handed, but at least you wouldn't be empty handed -"

I'm full of envy right now, of your writer's group! It sounds like a fantastic group and you're one of a lucky few who find a great one.

I'm looking forward to next year when my youngest starts school because it will mean I can return to the local writer's group each Wednesday morning. I had only been going a few weeks before he was born. He starts school in February so I'm already forward thinking and wondering what changes have occurred in the years I've been away.

I remember it was a very gentle group. The other members were intelligent and nice. I'm a naturally shy person (offline) and they were kind enough to let me fit in slowly.

Of course, looking back, the couple of pieces I shared with them were shockingly bad. *chuckles* Now I'm a little worried they won't be honest enough to say so when I return.

[Terry Heath]

I see that I need to find a writer's group, any idea how to hunt one down? I guess I'll check the bulletin board at the library . . . ? I've also been thinking of a way to start one online, possibly in the form of a forum. There's also a program used in the online classes for my Master's degree . . . I am going to have to do some research.

[Anne]

Rebecca, I think that a good writer's group has an instinct about how much criticism a person can take. You've matured now and so has your writing, so they will probably know that being more critical now will be more helpful than just being supportive. I'm glad you have the group, and it says something about them that they've managed to keep going over the years. You're also lucky that they meet in the daytime. I've never had a group that didn't meet either at night or on a weekend afternoon. It's a challenge for me to get there with so many family things going on. Thanks for the post!

[Anne]

Terry,
There are a lot of online forums and critique groups out there. The only one I have experience with is Survivor Writer. You have to write and post a certain number of pages every day or every week. Failure to do so will get you axed (thrown out of the group). But they're nice. You can re-apply for the next opening time. That's for productivity issues, not critiquing.

But thanks for the question. I'll try to address it in my next post!

And also, thanks for stopping by.

[Rebecca Laffar-Smith]

Wow! I hadn't really thought about that and you're absolutely right, Anne. In all probability they were aware I was green and were more interested in fostering my desire to write. I was so timid that brutal critique would have had me either quit writing completely or never, ever consider returning to the group. :-)

I guess we're incredibly lucky here. There are about three groups within twenty minutes drive of where I live that gather during the day. Each gathers at a different library on a different day. I could probably attend all of them next year. They're sustained over long periods and publish an annual anthology of their collective works as a little booklet.

There is a five hour writing marathon on in the city on the 6th of October I'd like to attend but I doubt I'll be able to. I've been thinking of getting some online friends together to do a virtual version, perhaps only two hours rather than five but a marathon to get us all pumping out pages and focused only on writing. What do you think?