Joining a Writing Group?

[The Storyteller]

Greetings all! So I've been thinking a lot about writing groups recently and have been wondering if I ought to join one and, more importantly, how I would join one if I did. I am on my third or fourth draft of a novel and have often thought having a group of writers to help me through the process (and vice versa, naturally) would be a really wonderful thing.

So that makes me curious; how many of you are involved in writing groups? How do you join or start a writing group if you are interested? What does an online writing group actually look like? Is there a convenient place or way to find like-minded people to start a writing group with?

And so on and so forth. You get the idea!

Thanks in advance!

Sincerely, me. (The Storyteller)

-similarly, I would be interested in how people find beta testers or exchange beta testing duties, and if beta testers are important and how they are different than a writing group!

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

For several years I belonged to a very good writing group -- the kind that meets face-to-face once a month -- and I feel like I learned an enormous amount from them. This was before the web, almost before the internet, so there were no online writers groups, and I have no personal experience of belonging to one, although I imagine they don't operate much differently.

I didn't exactly find them; they found me. I was at an SFF convention as part of the audience at a panel, and I raised my hand to ask a question about an upcoming writing seminar that was mentioned. After the panel was over, a very nice woman came over, handed me her card, and said that a writers group met monthly at her home, and was I interested? This was at a time when I felt particularly lonely -- not in my life as a whole, but in the writing part of it -- longing for the company and support of other writers. Naturally my answer was yes I was interested.

So my advice would be to go to places where writers at all levels of experience tend to gather: conventions, seminars, book signings, readings, etc. Get to know people and you might either find an existing group or several local people who are interested in forming one.

Some people , of course, don't live in areas where there is such a vibrant science fiction and fantasy community, so this won't work for everyone.

These days there is the online alternative, but the advice is still the same: go where writers at various levels of experience gather. You've done that already, of course, by coming here, becoming part of the community, and letting your interest in a writing group be known. Even if that doesn't bring instant results, people may remember and approach you later when a group they belong to is looking for new members.

I hope you find a group as good as the one I joined all those years ago!

 

[RX-79G]

"Meet up" and other online local tools like Craigslist can assist you finding a group or creating one.

Otherwise, you are a member of the sffchronicles writer's group, if you can get it to work for you.

 

[Dan Jones]

Good post, Teresa. Facebook also often has local groups dedicated to SFF and writing, so it's worth checking there, too.

 

[Kerrybuchanan]

I am a member of a writing group made up from Chrons members, scattered across the globe. We send out short pieces (up to 2k words, occasionally more, and occasionally full MSS) taking turns every week or so. Sometimes there are lulls while we all get on with life, or while someone edits frantically, and sometimes we're all vying for a slot. We give each other everything from detailed feedback of polished work to overall impressions of 1st drafts, but sometimes we just provide support and a shoulder to cry on if someone has been rejected by a publisher, or for personal crises. These people have become wonderful friends of the best sort. They understand the frustrations of passive voice, the difficulties of finding time to write in busy lives, and they're always there for me, as I hope I am for them.

If you are fortunate enough to find such a group, hold onto it with all your might. They are editors, sounding boards, beta readers, and almost anything else they're needed to be. They are priceless. If it wasn't for The Hexmen, I doubt I'd be writing anywhere near as well as I am now, or that I'd be continuing to learn and improve, or that I'd still be sane (and I recognise that my sanity is a matter of opinion).

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I'm in Kerry's group. It's great and the backbone of my writing support. I got recruited for it and said yes and have never looked back. Sometimes we come and go in terms of the amount we put up but the support is always there.

As it happens, it's a virtual group, but I don't think anything has been lost because of that.

 

[crystal haven]

And I'm in the same group as Jo and Kerry. Everything Kerry said, basically. The support is fantastic.

I found the group here, by getting to know people and exchanging work for critique. The group formed after that.

 

[The Big Peat]

I was recently invited to join a small group on another forum. Its already proven very useful and stimulating. In our case we have a small private forum but I can imagine other groups working very well on email chains. It just formed out of people with similar goals who knew and liked each other. I can only echo Teresa's advice about going to places where writers are and making friends.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Is there a convenient place or way to find like-minded people to start a writing group with?

Use the Critiques section of chrons - it's a great way to get to grips with basics, while also letting other people know what you write. If you're seen to be a good writer with a close genre connection, that can be an easy way to take things further off-site for editing/beta/reading etc.

 

[Ihe]

Thumbs up for the post. I've also been thinking about looking for a writing group--not only for all the practical help you can get, but also for the motivation they can inject you with during low times. Echoing Theresa's past, the writer part of me is also pretty isolated from other writers, which is part of the reason why I hold Chrons in such high regard.

 

[Stuart Suffel]

As Theresa says. However worth taking a peek by this article by Jane Friedman, who's pretty clued in. The 4 Hidden Dangers of Writing Groups | Jane Friedman

 

[The Storyteller]

Thanks for the excellent feedback! It's nice to hear how some other people got involved in their current or past writing groups.

These days there is the online alternative, but the advice is still the same: go where writers at various levels of experience gather. You've done that already, of course, by coming here, becoming part of the community, and letting your interest in a writing group be known. Even if that doesn't bring instant results, people may remember and approach you later when a group they belong to is looking for new members.

Good advice and good point! I've been thinking I ought to be more consistently active here, which at the very least would be a good first step!

Use the Critiques section of chrons - it's a great way to get to grips with basics, while also letting other people know what you write. If you're seen to be a good writer with a close genre connection, that can be an easy way to take things further off-site for editing/beta/reading etc.

Again, excellent advice. I keep meaning to post in the critiques and then never get around to it. It would be a good place to familiarize myself with other writers here on Chrons, and let other writers get familiar with me as well.

Thumbs up for the post. I've also been thinking about looking for a writing group--not only for all the practical help you can get, but also for the motivation they can inject you with during low times. Echoing Theresa's past, the writer part of me is also pretty isolated from other writers, which is part of the reason why I hold Chrons in such high regard.

Yes, motivation is a big draw to the idea of a writing group! It's also nice to spend time communicating with other people who share the same kinds of struggles and experiences that come from writing, the good and the bad.

As Theresa says. However worth taking a peek by this article by Jane Friedman, who's pretty clued in. The 4 Hidden Dangers of Writing Groups | Jane Friedman

Thanks for the link! I have read a few things by Jane Friedman, and I like her input on things. There are some very good points in this article; definitely something to keep in mind as I consider finding a writing group!

Thanks again for all the feedback. Always appreciated!

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Those 4 "hidden dangers" (which I wouldn't call hidden at all) are the reason why I say it's important to find a good writing group. You want one where the critiques are honest and thorough but not mean-spirited. Where no one is afraid to say what they think, but have learned to express themselves in a reasonably tactful manner. It's more work that way, but we're writers and should be able to manage it.

And that point about new writers being unable to lead each other in the right direction is why I recommend finding a group with writers at all levels of experience. It doesn't take long to figure out who is experienced and knows what they are talking about, although even relatively new writers can sometimes give a reader's perspective, the kind of thing that might otherwise get lost in more technical discussion (meanwhile, they're learning by listening to the others critique). Some people, especially at a certain stage in their development, get obsessed with the "rules" at the price of creativity, while others, at a certain stage in their development, think that simply tossing aside all rules and conventions without any thought is remarkably clever of them. If you have a group of six or seven people these things can balance out.

Writers tend to give the kind of critiques they would like to receive in return: critical but constructive, or purely positive and encouraging. (Or somewhere in between.) You look for a group where the writers are committed to giving constructive criticism minus sugar-coating, because constructive criticism is what they expect to get in return. Avoid groups where everyone wants unadulterated praise, because that is likely to be all you will get from them. They will build you up, but they won't help you make your writing better.

On the other hands there are those groups where the members have a great time showing how clever they are by tearing everything submitted for critique into small pieces and showing their wit by offering the most biting criticism -- though generally, they do not like it so well when anybody does the same to them, and occasionally things get nasty. These are groups to be avoided, too.

I don't like the idea of assigning people research projects, because if members are serious about improving they are already researching anyway and always sharing what they learn and the resources they find. But critiquing can take a lot of time, and it can be hard for some people to keep up. Asking them to do more can discourage them and you can lose some good people.

 

[Juliana]

Also, check your local library. I know mine has a writing group that meets up there, and is open to new members. Perhaps local bookstores might let you put up a flyer or something?

I met my face-to-face writing group at a writing conference; they had a meet and greet session with tables set up by geographic area - which was a cool idea - so participants could liaise with writers from their neck of the woods.

I also have an online group made up of Chrons members - people whose work I was already familiar with and who had read my work before, too.

 

[TWErvin2]

I've been a member of and moderated two online writing groups in the past. A while back I wrote an article, which might be useful, even though it does cover some of the territory discussed above:

Fiction Factor: Five Considerations before Joining a Crit Group

 

[Tim Murray]

I found a small group in my area that fits my needs. It is run by a local Lit teacher for a Jr. College. We meet twice a month.
We read up to about 2K words per meeting. The feedback is positive and my writing has improved over time. Poetry, General
fiction, biographies and science fiction are equally represented and respected. It is well worth the time spent.

 

[Susan Boulton]

In the past I have used online forum writing groups and critique groups.

Learned a lot here. It is fee paying and a closed group but was worth the £30 a year.
Online Writing Workshops: workshops for aspiring writers!

I am thinking of re-joining.

I also am a member of a local group called Inkfingers.

Go into any group with an open mind. Give balanced critiques and never, never argue with someone that has taken the time to critique your work.

 

[The Storyteller]

And that point about new writers being unable to lead each other in the right direction is why I recommend finding a group with writers at all levels of experience. It doesn't take long to figure out who is experienced and knows what they are talking about, although even relatively new writers can sometimes give a reader's perspective, the kind of thing that might otherwise get lost in more technical discussion (meanwhile, they're learning by listening to the others critique). Some people, especially at a certain stage in their development, get obsessed with the "rules" at the price of creativity, while others, at a certain stage in their development, think that simply tossing aside all rules and conventions without any thought is remarkably clever of them. If you have a group of six or seven people these things can balance out.

Sounds like good advice--I have always worried that, as a relatively new and untried writer, I may not be able to offer as valuable of input to more experienced writers, but I think the reader's perspective is an excellent point. Having writers at varying levels would definitely be a plus.

Also, check your local library. I know mine has a writing group that meets up there, and is open to new members. Perhaps local bookstores might let you put up a flyer or something?

Something to consider! I would prefer to be in an online writing group if possible, but checking out the library might be a good idea, especially if I can't get something started online.

I've been a member of and moderated two online writing groups in the past. A while back I wrote an article, which might be useful, even though it does cover some of the territory discussed above:

Fiction Factor: Five Considerations before Joining a Crit Group

Thanks for the link! There is some overlap, but it helps solidify the important points!

Learned a lot here. It is fee paying and a closed group but was worth the £30 a year.
Online Writing Workshops: workshops for aspiring writers!

Go into any group with an open mind. Give balanced critiques and never, never argue with someone that has taken the time to critique your work.

Thanks for the link, I will check it out and consider it. And I agree with the arguing comment. I have already come across this with opinions given by family members and friends, and have quickly learned that it is not helpful to try and justify your writing, no matter how valid you feel your opinion is!

 

[Toby Frost]

I've been in a few writing groups and one excellent one (in St Albans, if you're in the vicinity). I would say that they are well worth looking into, although they vary a lot.

In general, I would be wary of groups that don't offer sufficient criticism or don't have a strong interest in getting work to a publishable quality. It's too easy to simply congratulate other members for coming along or writing another 1,000 words of their work. It's surprising how easy it is for the listeners to not offer any real suggestions ("Mmm... interesting"), and for the person reading their work to end up, in effect, saying "Here's the next bit - shall I keep going?". At one group I attended, we deliberately asked readers what help they were looking for, to focus minds and encourage criticism.

A good range of members and styles of writing is helpful. It's probably not coincidence that the best groups and meetings I've attended have included all sorts of people, of all backgrounds, ages and so on. Having your comedy science fiction story critiqued be a writer of gay erotica is surprisingly thought-provoking (and not those sorts of thoughts!). You will run into the person who thinks SFF is inherently rubbish (apart from all the SFF books that are literature, of course), the person who is downright rude, the person who expects to be treated like a genius and shouldn't be (this was me, to begin with!) and the person who just wishes that you'd written a different story to the one you've done, and whose criticism will always tend that way. There are also a lot of people out there who like the idea of "being a writer" but aren't interested in getting really good. However, for all that there are a lot of very good writers in writing groups, some of them already published or working at a professional level.

Joining a writing group was a huge step forward in my own writing. I remember tentatively reading out something called "Space Biggles", which ended up as my first published novel. I honestly don't think I would have been published had it not been for the improvement in my work that the writing group prompted. I also ended up making new friends and contacts. I'm still in touch with a lot of the people I met there, even those who have moved away, and it's a pleasure to see what they're doing. So yes, I would certainly give it serious thought.

 

[MemoryTale]

I've been a member of two writer's groups. One metamorphosed from a writing course, and the other one I found advertised in the local library.

The first one wasn't brilliant as nobody ever made any constructive criticism, and it ended up as more of a social group, with a good twenty minutes taken up by chatter. There also weren't many controls over story length.

The second writing group will offer constructive feedback, but I have the problem there that I'm one of the more experienced writers, and anyone who's seen my stuff in Critiques knows I don't know everything by a long chalk!

Both of them had the problem that I'm the only person who does sci fi and fantasy. Everyone else tends to do slice of life or memoir style pieces. While it's true that good writing is good writing, sci fi and fantasy have their own tropes and conventions you can't always get away from. A Ford Transit doesn't require much explanation - a Torbus Skylander does.