Georgia Writers Association - Serving a diverse writing community

The Importance of Writing Groups

I am often asked about the things that a writer must do in order to be successful.  My stock answer is that there are just about as many writing protocols as there are people writing, and that if you ask the question of one hundred different writers, you will likely receive somewhere in the neighborhood of one hundred diverse answers.  Some of the responses may sound odd to you—such as don’t get caught robbing a convenience store—but the point is not about what the listener thinks so much as it is about what the writer believes. 

As an example, one writer I know swears by cold coffee and insists that meaningful prose cannot be crafted in the absence of yesterday’s brew.  If you put a cup of fresh, hot coffee in front of him, his synapses seize and he’s done for the day.  Another writer friend insists upon wearing her lucky slippers.  The slippers are ancient and don’t appear to have enjoyed much luck in their time, but my friend can’t proceed without them.  While cold coffee and pink fuzzy slippers are important components of these authors’ writing regimens, I think they may have limited value for most of us.

Still, I do believe that there are some universal protocols that apply to everyone who wishes to write.  They can be considered the basic tools of the writer.  There may be other activities that different writers engage in to be successful, but these are mandatory.  This list has only five entries: Read, Write, Share and Compare, Learn the Rules of Grammar, and Journal.  I know what you’re thinking, and I agree that Learn the Rules of Grammar is a tasty topic, but today I want to talk about Share and Compare.  I’m the writer and I get to pick.  It’s one of the perks of the job.

Writers are solitary people, so it should come as no surprise that writing is a solitary pursuit.  We work in isolation, and we are loathe to share our work until it shines.  I am particularly susceptible to this tendency, and it is complicated by the fact that I believe in my heart that every word I write is a flawless gem.  Most writers feel this way, but in my case, it is really true.  Even so, I occasionally manage to commit an unfortunate sentence to paper.  And when this happens, it is time to Share and Compare.  It is time to consult the members of my writing group.

The key to a successful association with a writing group is to find one that fits you.  My own writing group consists of three novelists, two poets, and an essayist.  We let the essayist in because she makes good coffee.  Our group is the right size for us, although I have heard of larger ones being successful.  We meet once or twice per month, usually for about two hours.  Each member must bring new work, read it aloud, and gracefully accept criticism.  No knife fighting or taking it out to the yard is allowed.  As far as the rules of the group go, you just read them all.  All members must write.  All members must read.  All members must criticize.  All members must accept criticism.  Also, someone should bring doughnuts, but this is more of a suggestion than a rule.

There are many positives to belonging to a writing group, but for me the greatest value lies in hearing others’ reactions to the work.  I became a novelist because I wanted to touch people’s lives.  Well, that plus I wanted to make a million dollars.  But mostly I wanted readers to be affected by the words I committed to paper, and the writing group is the method by which I am sure that I’m keeping on track.  If I write what I consider to be a humorous passage and my readers don’t laugh, I know I’ve missed the mark.  If I write a sad, poignant scene and the members of my group spew coffee before rolling the floors in helpless laughter, I again know that more work on the piece is indicated.

You may not find the right writing group for you on your first try, but the payoff for continuing the search more than justifies the effort.  You may have a friend in an existing group, and there is nothing wrong with asking to join.  Many bookstores have both reading and writing groups associated with them, and libraries are a good place to search for an existing group, as well.  Another obvious place to look is online.  I just Googled “writing groups” and got 106,000,000 hits.  Of course, when dealing with the internet, always be sure you know who and what you are dealing with before sharing too much information, lest you find yourself in an online critique group with Charles Manson, Bernie Ebbers, and Osama bin Laden..

If you can’t find the right group to join, you could consider starting your own.  I recommend that you look for like-minded people, the kind of folks you would seek out socially.  There is no point in enlisting a brilliant scholar into your group if you just hate the guy and have the urge to slip out to the driveway and cut his tires every time he speaks.  Additionally, people whose idea of an acceptable critique is Man, does that ever suck should also be avoided.  You want to be sure you surround yourself with people who take their writing seriously.  You want individuals who want to improve their own craft while helping you improve yours.  You want writers.

Next month we’ll talk about how important the habit of reading is to the writer.  I know, I know.  I implied that we might delve into the world of grammar next, but I have to keep you coming back somehow, so I’ll save the best for last.