Isolation vs Community: The Value of a Writing Group

Writing groups are as varied as there are genres in literature. In most cases, members of the group share work they are producing with each other in order to get feedback before attempting to publish. The method in each group is different, though. Some groups meet in person every week discussing chapters of the work at a time. Others may meet monthly to discuss larger chunks of text. Even others may not meet at all, preferring to maintain an online community discussion with dedicated members sharing feedback as they go. Whatever the method, the goal is the same: to get fresh eyes on your work to check for errors or improvements.

In today's connected world, the internet provides many ways to get feedback on a piece before officially publishing it anywhere. While that feedback can be valuable sometimes, I argue that it is less valuable to hear what a stranger has to say than what someone you know can say about your work. In other words, it's easier to ignore a stranger's feedback than a friend's. Beyond that, a friend knows your common errors or tendencies and can point them out to you. You also do not know what kind of expertise the strangers have. They may very well be experts in your genre, even published authors. They also could be pedantic know-it-alls, without any real expertise. Friends, at the very least, care about you and your success at some level and will speak with that in mind.

With that background I believe we can tackle the real question of this blog: does an author produce better work on their own or with a group? I land firmly on the side of community. In general, I believe that having a community of people speaking to your writing will help it improve beyond what you alone are capable of.

First of all, a writing group provides editorial feedback. What I mean is that they can draw attention to overused descriptive words, faulty narrative portions, pacing problems, character issues, and more. They can point out where grammar is faulty or simply awful and where your writing excels. Not all feedback is corrective! Sometimes it highlights what is working well. If you were isolated, you may not notice those typos or repetitions because you gloss over them easily. The difficult pacing? Not an issue because you justify it as a break in the action. A writing group can help you smooth out those minor challenges in your work in order to make it--and you--better.

Secondly, a writing group brings a challenge to perfectionism and delusion. Writers in isolation have two major problems, in my mind. They either think their work is perfect already or think it never is. A writing group provides a balance. Their feedback counters delusion by pointing out errors or parts that simply don't work. At the same time, they destroy perfectionism by pointing out the positives and building up their members. I don't mean to say that every piece shared in a writing group is worth publishing. The best writing groups will tell an author to scrap a piece that should not be published. But even with those they can provide feedback as to how it should be altered to make it functional.

Finally, a writing group provides community and a specific shared experience you can't find elsewhere. I've shared my writing with many people over the years. My family has read much of my work, as have individual friends during different periods of my life. While their feedback is nice, none of them are writers themselves. People in a writing group are all writers. Their experience is similar to yours and you can "talk shop" more effectively than with non-writers. This should go without saying, but the audience of your work is likely non-writers, so you need that feedback too. But a writing group allows you to discuss the finer details of crafting a story or the intricate steps of pursuing traditional publishing as well as sharing resources to improve your craft. You cannot get that sort of thing from anywhere else.

Knowing that a writing group is important and valuable, how does one find a group? You have many options. You can search your local area for groups. Check your local library or book store for any suggestions. Look online for groups that meet near you and see if you can join. You can also create your own if you know enough people. I struggled to find a group that already existed that worked with my busy life. So I found a few friends in a similar situation and put together a group that works even in the crazy lives we all lead. A writing group doesn't have to be a formal thing with by-laws and contracts, or strict schedules and word counts. It can be informal and relaxed. The important thing for a writing group is that it helps you grow. If it's doing that, then you're on the right track.