A Writer’s Secret Weapon- The Writing Group

I have a secret-weapon writing group. Shouldn’t you? A writing group can be the best, fastest and easiest way to get quality feedback on your work. It’s low pressure, usually informal and completely in your control for those of us suffering from commitment-phobia. What’s the best bit? It gets you writing. You’ll only need to rock up without new material once to be inspired (read: shamed) back to your computer pulling some late nights. If you choose the right folks you’ll be so inspired that you’ll want to lose sleep over them.

My group meets twice a month in a coffee shop or bar, we bring what we’ve been working on and we critique each other’s work. Simple. To some, the idea of a writing group seems quaint or outdated; especially when you consider the social networking communities that exist all over the internet. However, my group has a fiercely powerful effect on me. They push me to be productive when I don’t want to be, nurture my small beginnings and mini-ideas, and kindly tell me when a piece is, um, bad.

How is this different in person?  Well, for starters, you’re all in the same place at the same time, sharing. Not that I would advocate a rosy critique of something that needs a lot of work. However, one tends to practice humility and courtesy when you know your work will be under the microscope in ten minutes time. We’re all vulnerable, and when people are face-to-face there’s a lot less room for misunderstanding or unnecessary harshness. You’ll learn to give and receive feedback in a less emotional way and ultimately learn how to critique your own work better as a bi-product.

You don’t need to have friends in publishing to gather some smart literary people. You do, however, have to get over some fears, get organized and practice good writing group etiquette to keep your group together and be productive. Next week I will discuss tips on how to build a writing group and how to ensure that you all behave yourselves!

What is YOUR experience with a writing group?

Rachel Fachner is a writer, choreographer, and theatre director living, at the moment, in Australia. In the literary world she has worked for Jill Grinberg Literary Management and Tin House Books in addition to being a freelance editor. She runs project: transparence and builds work for Collective Dance NY.