Writing Groups: Should You Join One?

Writing groups can be fantastic. A give and take of ideas, inspiration and motivation. I have been a member of a writing group of fellow Writer’s Boot Camp alums for 3 years. Sometimes we meet regularly, other times we fall off a bit. Sometimes we just eat and drink, other times we really push each other. Primarily, we are buddies and because of that, we are invested in each other’s success.

It is important, when considering joining or creating a writing group, to have clear goals for your writing and for your group. Is this strictly a screenwriting group? How about essays or prose? Will there be regular meetings at a regular location? What are the expectations of the group? My group (we call ourselves the Splinter Cell – long story) decided at the outset that each person would get exactly 30 minutes to present their material for review and for the ensuing discussion. Sometimes we end early on an individual, if they’ve gotten what they need – but we never go over. We are keenly aware that have each arrived with something we really wanted to discuss.

We support each other. If there are events, victories or failures, my writing group huddles and provides comfort, food, commiseration and high-fives. We are there for each other. And that includes the polite eye-brow raise and the softly spoken: Um, that really doesn’t make sense. I like it though. You go, girl. But I think you have got a problem with the logic. We trust each other. And it takes time to build that trust.

At the outset, we selected each other with care. When we occasionally add a new member, we think carefully about their potential contribution. We have all sat through too many evenings in our writing program where a writer would dominate the conversation, snap angrily, drone catatonically or burst into tears while we clenched our knuckles and looked at the clock. Make sure that on the whole, the writers in your group are on the same level. Meaning, don’t join a writers group of soccer moms who have written their first short story if you have been doing this for years. You will only wind up frustrated. Don’t join a writers group if there is a strong bent or agenda of some sort if you really just wanted some feedback on a scene.

A writing group can be a tremendous source of support, constancy and brainstorming. Just choose your members carefully and be clear, at the outset, as you discuss the rules, boundaries and expectations of the group. Particularly if you live in an area in which there is seemingly a dearth of creative types, a writing group can save your sanity. Many writers are by nature solitary creatures. Not all – just the large majority. But screenwriting is vastly different from almost every other writing career in that it is extremely collaborative. You might be shy and retiring but that’s all the more reason to build community and trust and give yourself a built-in reason to finish that draft by next Thursday at 7:30.

Writers can seek established writing groups or seek members for a new one by looking at Craig’s List, posting a notice at the local library or café, or posting on an internet message board and looking for those who live in the area. Breaking into an existing group can be tough but remember, it is you who are shopping for the group as much as the group is shopping for a new member. Everybody has to bring something to the table.

Lately, my group hasn’t been getting together that often. We had a beer and pizza laugh-fest last month. And we plan our usual Academy Award Heckle-Fest. We may not talk about one premise line or character arc. But we are all in this thing together and in the end, that commonality of purpose is what binds us.

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