Writing Groups

Writing groups (usually of three to six writers) meet regularly to read and discuss their current projects, providing valuable feedback that is more meaningful than the "I liked it" of the average reader. Issues of tone, point of view, and structure can be covered in more detail, and the motivating influence of writing for peers every week spurs each writer to complete work consistently.

At least, that's the way it is supposed to work. Often, it does. Many find writing groups to be educational and motivational.

The problem is that every writing group contains at least one idiot and at least one genius, but they look and behave so similarly that you cannot tell the difference. Usually, the idiot is the person who dislikes your writing, and the genius loves it. If you have low self-esteem, it is the other way around. In either case, their opinions may or may not have any signifiance to your work.

Writing groups are just as subjective as you are reading your own work. The only difference is that there are more subjective opinions from which to choose, and you can look for intersections between them to learn about your writing and its possible flaws and strengths.

The opinions are all still subjective and may have more to do with the person offering them than your own work. They may be worded in a way that you're not ready to understand. They may, frankly, be completely wrong for that story or your style. They may also be absolutely correct.

In other words, be careful. You may be well-served in a writing group and you may not. They're not required to improve your writing, and I can think of several anecdotal cases in which they were actually detrimental (by warping the tone of a piece beyond its original intent or lapsing into favoritism). I can also think of excellent advice I've received from my peers.

Consider what you hear in a writing group to be suggestions only, and avoid the tempation to win the favor of your fellow writers by writing to their standards.

Follow these guidelines for working in writing groups:

• Find a group compatible with your level, genre, and goals.
• Find a quiet neutral location to meet.
• Establish rules for effective and constructive criticism.
• Don't defend yourself.
• Listen more than you speak.
• Be concerned if everyone hates your work.
• Be concerned if everyone loves your work.
• Be professional.

Find a group compatible with your level, genre, and goals.

A problem with peer editing is finding peers, other writers who are on your same writing level (or slightly above), believe at least in the legitimacy of your genre, and have similar goals. A romance writing group won't have much to say about your horror piece except, "You know, that could use some more romance in it."

Genre writers should especially be wary of literary groups. People unfamiliar with the tropes and cliches of genre fiction might not be able to warn you if you're treading on well-worn ground. Worse, they'll dismiss what you're writing as "that crazy rocketship stuff" and read it without understanding it.

On the other hand, a good mix helps. You'll get nothing but encouragement if you write the work that everyone already loves. You won't improve or expand to other areas.

Find a quiet neutral location to meet.

You can't meet at someone's house or apartment, especially if they have children or a family. Even a dog or a television can be a distraction. You can't meet at a library because you'll need to speak loud enough to hear one another. You can't meet at some restaurants because they're too loud and the tables are too small.

The Goldilocks combination for a good writing group meeting location includes:

• A large enough table for everyone to rest their manuscripts on.
• An environment quiet enough to hear but not so quiet that you can't speak. A coffee house is the cliche, but it works well. Some libraries have special rooms in which you can speak and have meetings. Restaurants on off-hours sometimes work well (a university cafeteria while everyone else is in class can be convenient).
• A place with few distractions, one that reminds you that you're there to do work. You can't meet with the malignant eye of the big screen television leering at you from the wall.
• A place centrally located for all who attend.
• An emotionally neutral place. If you meet every time in one person's home, he or she slowly becomes the leader, subtly impacting the opinions offered of the work.

Establish rules for effective and constructive criticism.

The biggest fear and most frequent complaint about writing groups is that they degenerate into vicious sarcastic free-for-alls, where the point isn't mutual benefit but the utter humiliation of a victim. It's as easy to become defensive as it is to be offensive, and rules about how discussions are handled minimize misunderstandings.

• One person speaks at a time.
• Start off listing a work's strengths before its weaknesses.
• Don't take an opportunity to show how smart you are. Say your piece and be done with it.
• Avoid implying that your opinion is the "right way" to do something. Say, "I think this would work better if..." or "I think the story would be stronger with..."
• Don't make sweeping pronouncements about a writer's ability based on one work. "Wow, pal. Judging by this story, you'll never sell a word as long as you live."

Don't defend yourself.

If your peers are sensitive and respectful, you may never have to feel defensive. It's hard to avoid sometimes, though. Remember that you're not on trial. Quietly listen to the other person's feedback, take notes, and nod. Ask questions once he or she has finished.

Don't explain. If you have to explain why you did something, you're not doing it effectively. Worse, your peer will understand the explanation and you'll lose the fresh perspective you were seeking.

Listen more than you speak.

This is good advice for many things, but here it is very important. Focus on the work you're critiquing or the critic of your work and really understand. Don't just fish for compliments or listen for words like "genius." Really listen and understand.

Be concerned if everyone hates your work.

Don't be discouraged if everyone in the group hates your work. It may mean that you're part of a group that doesn't respect the genre in which you're working, doesn't understand your intentions, or is at a vastly different level than you. If everyone hates your work, you might not be in the best place for it to grow.

Be concerned if everyone loves your work.

If everyone loves your work, this might even be worse. It means that everyone is either too inexperienced or timid to provide effective feedback, defeating the purpose of the writing group. Gushing praise is always suspicious, and--as twisted as this sounds--you should always be skeptical of people who find the work brilliant (or terrible).

Work at this level rarely tips to one extreme or the other.

Be professional.

You're meeting to discuss writing, not the latest movies or books, not the degeneration of a literate America, not the failure of editors to recognize your genius. If your group sessions lapse into social gatherings, there's nothing wrong with that: just admit it and stop the pretense of dragging a story with you. Join another group willing to work, and enjoy your leisure time with the former one.

Keep your relationship with the group professional. Friends might hesitate to tell you the truth for fear of hurting you, and you need a group that offer honest appraisals of the work.