Any writing book, writer or published author will tell you that writing is a solitary sport. Endless hours in front of a computer screen with a hungry blinking cursor demanding to be fed. For me, this is no problem. Not necessarily a social creature, in many ways the solitude is comforting. Just me and my words. Family time is important at the end of the day, when my words are spent. Life is about balance – neglect one or the other and the scale tips.
Most writing books and quite a few authors recommend participating in a writing group. Probably not bad advise for most, but not all.
The benefits of such groups are obvious:
- Valid comments – A writer’s group allows your work to be looked at outside of the vacuum. If your writing is good, then the validation is nice to have. If you consistently make the same mistakes, then the comments should bring this to light.
- Networking – Groups are a good opportunity to network with others practicing the craft. And when it comes to getting published, sometimes it’s not what you know…
- Fresh approaches – Reviewing other writer’s work may give you new ideas for how to approach a specific problem with plot or character
Drawbacks include:
- Members using the group socially – How much time is spent socializing and how much time is spent on the work at hand? A group that gets down to business in the final third of the meeting is probably more socially oriented.
- Personalities – Members with strong personalities may push the group in directions that is dictated towards what a strong member wants.
- Unknown validity to critiquing – Can you really accept the input regarding your writing as valid? Maybe. Do all of the members hold their nose when they talk about your latest worK? If so then the comments may be valid.
- Jealousy issues – Some groups are charged with negativity. Beware the green-headed monster.
- Who are you writing for? – Are you writing for you or are you writing to appease the members of your group? It’s easy to lose focus.
It’s important for you to know the type of writer you are and what would work best for your personality. If you know that you have thin skin, then maybe a writer’s group is not for you. Come to think of it, if you have thin skin what the hell are you doing in this business?
For me, I’m not too interested in being with a group. I seem to have gotten along just fine thus far and frankly I’m not too keen on all of the drama that frequently grows in a group.
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I’ve thought about this and somehow felt I ‘should’ be in a writer’s group-but frankly I’m like you, I prefer solitary writing. Thanks for letting me see both sides here!
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George, I was in a writing group when I first started out in the early 1990s, and it helped me get my first book published. I’ve been solo since then.
However, I do think it’s important to have someone we trust read over our work. Whether the writing is fiction or nonfiction, a good eye will catch problems, problems that might make an editor say no.
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George – Great article. I had a friend that dragged me to a writing group and I just didn’t enjoy myself. I think the reason I didn’t enjoy myself too much is because I’m not a very social person and the members were definitely using the group socially.
I wouldn’t say it was a very productive meeting, but I did meet one interesting person while there. So i guess there is a good and bad to it like anything else in life.
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