Writing Groups

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Writing is a solitary activity, done largely in a vacuum. We create scenes, dialog, and whole worlds in our heads. We craft them into stories that we put down on (virtual) paper. And one day we hope that someone will read our stories and hopefully enjoy them.

But writing is hard. It takes a long time (for most of us). And after a while we get so close to our work that we don't know if our story comes across the way we hope it does. We can't be sure if what we did say makes any sense. That is why writers seek feedback.

One way of getting feedback on our writing is to join a writing group.

There are as many types of writing groups as there are writers. But generally, it's a place where we can submit our work to the critique of the other members while offering our critiques of their work in return.

It's supposed to be a safe place to put our work out there so that we can improve it. The trick is to find that right fit. We all want that place where we can be our crazy writer selves and have others understand our particular neuroses.

This week I'm discussing writing groups. I'm no expert as I joined my first one not quite a year ago. I hear that I'm pretty lucky to have found a good group of writers, but I think that we can all be that lucky if we know what to look out for and are willing to get as much as we can out of the experience.

What's your experience? Do you belong to a writing group? Do you want to join one?