Do you belong to a writing group?

notpc said:

I'm kinda curious if you guys belong to a writing group that meets regularly?

If you do, has belonging to a group helped?

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Yes - our critique group meets twice a month.

I do get some useful feedback from them, but the biggest benefit I've reaped is being in a situation where, twice a month, someone actually EXPECTS me to have gotten something done, and to have it ready to read. I am hopeless without deadlines, so this is a HUGE benefit.

Edited to add - notpc, my group is in Portland, OR - if you're at all interested in actually joining a group and don't mind a bit of a commute, PM me and I'll give you the rundown on ours.

Yes ... the biggest benefit was doing critiques, not receiving them. While members commented on my manuscript, it was making critiques that helped me learn what to do with the comments.

Yes, a small one--I started it. It gives me time to talk with writers and helps motivate me.

chartreuse said:

...but the biggest benefit I've reaped is being in a situation where, twice a month, someone actually EXPECTS me to have gotten something done, and to have it ready to read. I am hopeless without deadlines, so this is a HUGE benefit...

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This is my motivation for joining a writer's group.

But I'm not in one because I can't find one in my area. There is a writer's group that meets on Tuesday's but that's when I have my weekly socialist meetings so that rules that out.

The main thing is seeing what others see on the page vs. what you yourself see on the page.

I'd love to find a good one, but after several unsuccessful tries, I'm wary. Right now, I'd settle for a trustworthy beta reader or two.

I belong to a group of 250 members who meet once a month and have various gatherings, readings, workshops, etc. It changed my life. I also belong to a group of 9 who meet once a month in my home to critique or works in progress...it has also changed my life. We have a great time together and we help propel one another forward with our novels. We just met tonight, actually...so I'm still on a high. I love my writing groups.

KTC said:

I belong to a group of 250 members who meet once a month and have various gatherings, readings, workshops, etc. It changed my life. I also belong to a group of 9 who meet once a month in my home to critique or works in progress...it has also changed my life. We have a great time together and we help propel one another forward with our novels. We just met tonight, actually...so I'm still on a high. I love my writing groups.

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No, I don't belong to any group, but this sure makes me want to.

callalily61 said:

IMNSHO, nothing beats face-to-face crits.

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Agreed.

I was a member once. Never went to any meetings.

But I'm not now and personally, I don't like other people, so being in a group wouldn't help me.

I have been apart of them in the past. I loved it. just being able to talk to other writers, form a community, support, getting and giving feedback. It was wonderful. I really miss it and am looking forward to finding another one when I finally get settled again!

I belong to 3 writing groups, all of which are helpful and supportive in some ways, but I stay away from critque groups. I don't like giving critiques and I've yet to find them useful. I get a little worried that by using them I'll lose my own vision and end up writing by committee. Like Novel Historian, I prefer to use Beta readers. Once I have a second draft complete I send to them. I have three that are widely read, literate, and openminded. They're avid readers, but they're not writers, and I find that their suggestions seem to be dead on.

I used to have a group going. We'd meet once a month, read out our work, make comments, and just talk about writing stuff. Every month I always came away extra-inspired, but that's about all it was good for. Over time, the numbers attending died down, and in the end I stopped the meetings because it just wasn't worth it.

I'd love to start one up again, but obviously do it differently somehow. I think different people want different things from such a group, and it can be hard to find the right one for you.

Writing group

If you mean critique groups, good grief, no. I think critique groups are the biggest single cause of failure there is. Even bigger than lack of talent because I've seen critique groups kill many very talented writers.

I do belong to a small writer's group, but the one thing we never, ever do is critique each other's work.

Jamesaritchie said:

If you mean critique groups, good grief, no. I think critique groups are the biggest single cause of failure there is. Even bigger than lack of talent because I've seen critique groups kill many very talented writers.

I do belong to a small writer's group, but the one thing we never, ever do is critique each other's work.

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Not that I've ever been in a critique group, but why do you think they're so damaging?

I belong to a couple of writer's groups - one meets once a month, the other twice a month. We bring a chapter, or short story, or something to share with the group. Each of us reads our selections out loud and then we primarily discuss and comment on the work, sometimes we critique. Surface edits are usually found at these meetings, but I don't expect any deep edits from this. Once my project is done, I usually have a couple of readers willing to look it over for deeper issues.

As others have mentioned, sometimes it's just nice to meet with other writers and discuss the writing process (kinda like here, only face-to-face) and/or writing projects.

Take care all -

Nope. I've never felt comfortable in groups. In fact, the solitude of the process is a large part of its appeal for me. I let editors and readers do my critiquing.

The only writers groups I belong to are electronic but I belong to several, including AW. I've found participating in the forums and threads to be very beneficial (each for different reasons) --keeps me focused on writing because I interact daily.

Never joined a writers' group and never will (unless you count AW). I don't like people, I hate groups and I learn everything I need to here.

I belong to a big organization that has monthly meeting with speakers. Authors, editors, agents...last month, Deidre Knight of the Knight Agency gave a great lecture and question/answer session. She also took pitches.

I know of three writers on this board who are members of that organization, too, but they can out themselves.

The big O also has critique group pods around the area, and I attended one of those for a little while, but it didn't really work out for me. After a while, you get to know everyone's themes, you know what they're going to pick out from your work to comment on, and if it's that predictable, then why bother?

Now I meet twice a month with a couple of people (again, both of them are members here, too) and we kinda just chat about markets, goals, books, resources, what have you. Oh, and we eat and I drink waaayyy too much diet coke.

I belong to a local chapter of RWA and they offer all sorts of programs for writers at every level. I don't get to as many meetings as I'd like, but I've learned a ton, sat through some great presentations (Donald Maass is one - if you ever have the chance to sit through one of his seminars, I highly recommend it), and this past weekend, two agents came in and did a pitch session as well. I think I made an ass of myself (I hate doing pitches and this was one I did on the fly, since the book I was going to pitch sold two weeks ago), but got a request for a partial so either she liked the idea or felt sorry for me .

I belong to a big organization that has monthly meeting with speakers. Authors, editors, agents...last month, Deidre Knight of the Knight Agency gave a great lecture and question/answer session. She also took pitches.

I know of three writers on this board who are members of that organization, too, but they can out themselves.

The big O also has critique group pods around the area, but I haven't been able to attend because I must drive an hour in the opposite direciton from the meeting site to let my dog pee right before the meeting starts.

Wow, that was an easy post for you, Rumple, eh?