On Writing Groups

And “Who’s to Bless and Who’s to Blame”

What are you looking for in a writing group? Or are you looking for a writing group? They are not for everybody, but many find comfort and growth in participating.

My happiest writing times were spent sitting in my semi-screened warped porch out at the lake, smoking the mosquitoes away, listening to loons, and writing. I became ashamed, however, as people pointed out that I could not grow unless I joined a writing group. I needed a circle of trusted friends to receive my words and help me to say what I wanted to say. When I pointed out that I had a trusted editor to do that, I learned that I was arrogant, not intrinsically shy as I had thought.

I am wary of group events, although I do enjoy correspondence with other writers, and I enjoy the way we swap and examine each other’s work. In giving and receiving feedback, we grow. Apparently, I adopt this stance because I am not willing to be busy, and I am not a team player. I learned that fact recently when I mentioned that I would not be joining a group because I did not have two hours to spend chatting about writing twice a month, plus an hour’s drive to and from the event. I learned that we can all claim to be busy, but we must be willing to go the extra mile! To help others—and ourselves. This person then told me the interesting things others in the group did and said, and how sharing their experiences and ideas helped them all. I am not sure I want my thoughts shared with random strangers after the meeting. And for future reference, I am retired but somehow working very full days, and there never has been a team in I.

Writing groups come in a variety of packages and we participate for a variety of reasons. Some are seeking like-minded individuals to share ideas and writing experiences, some are looking for an afternoon sharing writings and giving spontaneous feedback, and some are looking for formal analysis. I personally do not enjoy chatting about writing, which, in my experience, usually involves at least one leading personality who dominates the group. Now if I could dominate the group, I probably wouldn’t mind!

But now, I have found a writing group and I am quite content. I did it by clicking “Join” on a CAA page. Our group has a moderator who has a timer and is not afraid to use it. Once a month, we each submit a piece of writing to the moderator, who then distributes the submissions for the participants to review. We can edit or comment as much as we have time for, but at our monthly meeting, we each have five minutes per submission to deliver three key points that we noticed. We can send any additional details to the author of the piece after the meeting. Analyses vary—what one loves might be shredded by another. From that we learn that nothing is absolute, life is tough, and we need to take all the input as constructive. At my very first meeting, one participant suggested I start my prologue several sentences in. That made sense. Another suggested I jettison everything and start from scratch. That hurt, but sometimes we have to face the truth. But no one told me to go back to insulating ovens or being tech support for an online trading program. Filtering everyone’s input, I became much more aware of the importance of not only saying what I meant, but saying it so it made sense. And examining the strengths and needs of others’ writing has also been educational. “So that’s how you do that.” “Yes, I see why that is important.”

Yep, I think I have grown—maybe not a better writer yet, but a more alert writer.

That is where I feel at home—for others, the human connection, the shared journey, is the best part. All approaches have merit. It all depends on what we are looking for in a writing group.

Some days I miss my solitude, but most days, I think this is a valuable part of my life.

How about you? Are writing groups part of your writing experience? If so, what need in your life do they fulfill? The way I see it, there are no hard and fast rules here—one person’s writing group perhaps raises anxieties for others. Sometimes, it reminds me of organized religion—embrace my type of writers group or burn forever. And those who go without writing groups, in my humble (or not) opinion, should not be shamed in the town square.

But this is just me, at my biased and judgmental best. I have found a writing group that works for me, and that surprises me. Life is full of inconsistencies and wonder. If you doubt that, check out Kris Kristofferson’s Who’s to Bless and Who’s to Blame .

I really would love to hear from you and hear all your ideas on the subject. After all, we are each supposed to have a unique voice—let’s use it.