Have you been wondering if perhaps you want to join a writing group? Every writer needs support — you need support to keep you on track when it feels like your writing is never going to be published, support when you feel like all you’re writing is crap, and support to tell you how great you’re doing when things are going well.
By the way, you may have noticed it’s not Leigh writing this post. I’m Abbie. I’ve known Leigh for almost a decade and have been a part of her online writing community The Workshop for almost 3 years. I’ve just joined her team, so you’ll be seeing more of me on the blog and in her writing groups.
I started working with Leigh when I needed support in launching my freelance career. She helped me get clear on my goals. I realized that I’d rather focus on pitching and writing articles as well as finally implementing an idea for a business. Together, we worked through her Writer’s Roadmap process to create a writing plan, and I consistently hit all of my goals.
Since working together, I’ve honed my pitching skills and published in Atlas Obscura, Earth Island Journal, Upworthy and many more. I’ve worked as a content strategist and recently launched The Life Discovery Project to help women leave jobs they hate and find more meaning and passion in their lives.
Leigh and I have a long history together and you can see how our life philosophies overlap, too. When Leigh told me about The Workshop, it sounded like the perfect next step. The Workshop allows me to continue developing my writing plan, meet other writers and find support when I start to doubt myself. I’ve also been a member of several Facebook groups designed to support writers, so I’ve learned quite a bit about what to consider before joining any new group, whether it’s a writing community, a Facebook group, or a reading club.
It’s like looking for a book — if you hate romance novels, you wouldn’t buy a romance novel. You might spend your time in the sci-fi section because that’s where your interests lie. Not every group is going to be a good fit for you and you won’t be a good fit for every group.
Here are seven things I’ve found are important to decide if a group is right for you:
1. Join a writing group with a clear purpose.
This point is twofold: It’s important the group itself has a clear purpose, but it’s equally important you know why you’re joining. For example, the purpose of The Workshop is to create a clear plan for your writing and then make it happen using the resources and community support you find there. Another group might have a purpose of editing each others’ work or finding beta readers for your book.
Whatever the purpose of the group, it should be clearly stated and all members should be there for the same reasons.
2. Join a writing group with defined rules.
Every group needs rules. I’m not talking about a long list of overly structured specifics. I’m talking about some basic ideas to make sure everyone is on the same page.
For example, The Workshop includes a specific policy to be respectful of other members at all times. Disagreement is welcome, as is constructive criticism, but name-calling, racist language or ad hominem attacks are strictly not tolerated. Many groups have rules around sharing promotional links. After all, you want to be able to share your work with other members, but you don’t want to waste time wading through loads of self-promotion, making it hard to find the information you join the group to find.
Make sure you’re comfortable with the rules of the group you join. You want to feel they create a safe space for you to write and share without being restrictive or overbearing.
3. Join a writing group that enables positive thinking.
One of the main reasons to join a writing group is to help you overcome self-doubt and that nagging feeling that no one wants to read your writing. It can be daunting to throw yourself into a group of people and put yourself out there, so the last thing you need is a group of negative people who complain often or are overly critical. You need to feel comfortable expressing yourself and sharing your work without concern that someone will tear you apart.
Of course, nothing is unicorns and puppies all the time. You want constructive feedback to help you edit and improve your writing, but when comments are negative more often than not, you’ll find yourself discouraged, making it harder to write and edit.
I once joined a Facebook group that I thought would be great for networking, but members consistently judged each other, nitpicked statements, and bickered about everything and anything. It was so tiring having to weed through all the negativity to find something insightful or useful. Needless to say, I am no longer a member of that group.
By contrast, people in The Workshop often share their own experiences and give advice. You don’t always have to take what you hear as absolute truth, because the philosophy of the group is to listen, share and then make your own choices. Positive but with a constructively critical eye.
4. Join a writing group to hold you accountable.
Ok, so you know how you set a goal but then somehow, you just stop working on it? Groups are fantastic for holding you accountable to your goals and to your writing commitments. They help you take your membership in the group seriously.
Have you ever had someone read your writing and simply say “Great job!”? It’s not at all helpful. You want people to push your boundaries a bit and help you make the best decisions you can make. Oh, and look for a community where everyone makes a conscious effort to participate reciprocally, not just posting when they need advice on something, but when you need something, it’s crickets.
Giving constructive feedback is something most adults are never taught, so many of us associate feedback or criticism as purely negative. There are some great tips out there for giving useful feedback to others.
Here are some of my favorites:
Check your motives.
Feedback is to help the other person improve, not for you to criticize, Your opinion of the writing isn’t as important as finding ways to help someone improve their writing.
Be specific.
When feedback is too broad, it’s not helpful. It lets the writer know you either generally liked or didn’t like something, but it doesn’t give them any way to improve. Before giving feedback, think specifically what’s working or what’s not working and explain how it impacted you as a reader.
Bonus: As you hone this skill in giving feedback to others, you strengthen your own editing skills as well.
Limit your focus.
Instead of finding every potential edit large or small, pick a couple of the most important points to discuss.
Say what you loved.
Always include positive feedback as well as points of improvement. We all want to know where our writing shines.
5. Join a writing group that fits into your life.
Think about what works for your schedule — are you looking for an in-person group where you can meet up with other face-to-face or do you prefer an online group where you can check in during your lunch break?
Face-to-face time with actual humans is crucial in a world where we so often get stuck behind our computers, but online groups offer flexibility and often a more diverse group of people. The Workshop, for example, has members from all over the world, from Argentina and Brazil to Egypt to the United States and Europe. You can also access The Workshop any time of day or night wherever you are.
If you don’t have time to drive somewhere and meet in person, it might be easier to spend your time more efficiently in your online group. Most importantly, make sure whatever you choose allows you to make commitments and stick to them, so choose a group that is convenient and gives you the support and resources you need to reach your goals.
6. Join a writing group that fits your budget.
Some writing groups are free. Some have a yearly or monthly cost. Does the group provide enough resources and input to justify the cost? Something to consider, the cost of joining a group may easily be made back through the work you publish using the resources in the group. When I joined The Workshop, I started pitching. Many articles I published paid more than the monthly cost of The Workshop.
Will the group produce the results you want? Will you make contacts and hear advice you wouldn’t find elsewhere? Does the time commitment make sense for you?
These are all elements to help you decide if it’s worth joining.
7. Join a writing group with your people.
Writing can be such a lonely endeavor because so many people simply don’t understand what it means to write and publish. Even when they intend to be supportive, people ask questions that leave you discouraged and frustrated. Your writing group gives you the opportunity to find other like-minded people who understand your challenges because they’ve faced them, too.
Find a group of people who also write about topics you can support, even if you’d never write about them yourself. If you find yourself getting upset at the subjects other people discuss or they completely disregard your own life or moral philosophy, it may not be the group for you.
Ready to find your people?
Why not join us in The Workshop. You’ll find plenty of support from Leigh and your fellow writers plus you’ll have access to members-only content, Q&As, and special events.
Is The Workshop right for you?
Click here to learn more and find out more.
If you’re not yet ready to join, no worries. Sign up for Leigh’s newsletter and you’ll immediately receive resources and ideas to boost your writing confidence and get you started writing now.
