Setting up a writing community

Creative writing - From think to ink - Lindstrom Simeon 2015

Setting up a writing community

Most beginner writers are like secretive moles working underground, writing alone at night where nobody can see them. But getting your work out there and in front of eyes other than your own is a vital, if sometimes painful, part of the process.

This is non negotiable.

If you think you can get away with not seeking the advice, support, opinions or feedback of others, think again. In fact, the more resistant you are to this idea, the more likely you are to benefit from it. It’s not so bad!

Writing groups

I used to hate my writing group with a passion. Really. I would leave every week and secretly wish they’d all die of cancer. Sometimes I thought they were all ignorant, sometimes I got really angry with them, but occasionally, I felt like they had given me advice so valuable I don’t know how I lived without it.

I’ll say two things about writing groups: they are necessary, and just because you are occasionally uncomfortable with one, it doesn’t mean that going isn’t good for you. BUT another thing I’ll say is that some writing groups are better than others, and that the whole process shouldn’t be all pain and misery.

If you feel inspired at the end of your group meeting to hit the writing again, if you feel great but ready to try something new, you’re probably with the right group of people. If you feel either elated that everyone thinks you’re brilliant, or your soul is crushed and you feel like you can never write again, it’s probably worth seeking out a group that will fit you better.

Writing groups where everyone is praised for whatever crap they put to paper (sorry) are not useful to anyone. If your group’s mentality is, “everyone’s a winner and nobody is allowed to offer any constructive criticism at all,” your writing will not improve. Similarly, if your writing group is a den of snakes where a bunch of embittered writers take turns tearing each other down, your writing will also never improve.

You should find a group where each member is committed to improving, and where there is a culture of respect and mutual interest in growth. Follow your gut here and get away from groups dominated by fear, ego and narcissism. Also watch out for writing circles where the goal is not explicitly to improve but rather to share and chat. This ties in with the narcissism I mentioned earlier — again, it’s not bad, but get stuck in a group like this and you’ll feel grand but again, your writing will not improve.

Writing mentor

If you can find someone you admire and respect who is available to coach you on your writing directly, you have the chance to improve in leaps and bounds. But it becomes even more important here to be discerning. You should constantly ask yourself whether your involvement is leading to tangible benefits in your writing. Are you writing more? Are you improving on your weaknesses? Finishing projects and publishing them? Feeling inspired?

Online groups

The Internet thankfully gives you amazing access to other likeminded individuals and can be an excellent platform to elicit feedback and help. There are billions of forums, writing groups, blogs and mailing lists out there if you take the time to find them.

Again, you need to seek out that ideal balance between ego-stroking and critical enough to push you to be better. Anonymity can have its pros and cons. Consider carefully whether your online audience matches your final intended audience. Consider carefully whether your involvement with online groups is helping or hindering your overall output.

At the end of the day, a group is only as good as its effect on your writing. Your primary concern is not to feel good, to socialize or to promote yourself. It’s to improve. As long as that’s happening, how you choose to build your own writing community is up to you. But you do need a writing community!