Your Writing Group: Tip #1
I joined my first writing group when a friend invited me to her group that met at the Catholic church. I was 25 and completing a master’s in English literature. While working on that degree, I discovered that I wanted to write fiction, not teach literature.
By the time I joined that group, I’d written one science fiction short story for a class and completed my first novel (a really terrible Star Trek novel). I thought I was ready to be published.
Cue the hysterical laughter.
Now, decades later, I can see how generous those women were to take in someone so new to writing and critiquing others’ fiction. I quickly discovered how challenging it is to give useful feedback on fiction.
For the previous two years I’d been teaching first-year composition students, but grading essays is NOT LIKE reading and responding to fiction. Nor was my experience analyzing literature especially helpful—it wasn’t aimed at the craft of creating fiction but instead in the interpretation of fiction.
So as a critique partner, I was pretty useless for quite some time. I’ve learned a few things since, and solicited feedback from other writers about their writing group experiences.
Tip #1: Know What You Want from a Group
Identifying what would you like to get out of your participation in a writers’ group can help you manage your expectations.
Accountability: Do you want a regular deadline/submission date to help you get your novel done? Knowing that someone else is waiting for you to submit your work can be a useful incentive.
Fellowship: Do you want to talk with other travelers on the writing and publishing journey? Fellow novelists understand the roller coaster of the journey in ways your family and friends probably don’t.
Writing and Publishing Info: Do you want to share craft knowledge or marketing tips? Some groups invite speakers to share their expertise or take turns sharing their market research.
Feedback: Do you want to know how readers respond to your work? Giving and receiving helpful, honest feedback can be incredibly challenging. (More on feedback next time.)
What else do you/would you want from a writing group? Let me know at bookcoach@micheleregenold.com.
Much, if not all, of the above can also be had from a book coach. If so, you might be wondering, why would you pay a book coach?
Because individualized feedback from a professional can help you move forward faster. If that sounds appealing, let’s chat.