Writer and critique group

If you're at all interested in writing, whether it's poetry, screenwriting, playwriting, novel writing or just about any type of creative writing, you've probably considered joining a writers' group. There are many different kinds of writers' groups. There are professionally organized groups that cost a fee each month or you can save some money and organize one yourself. Whichever way you go about it, you want to make sure that the group you join fulfills your needs and nurtures your craft. Since most writers who are just starting out, have little money to burn, I will be focusing on the "free" writers' group, the one you put together yourself.

Why is a writers' group important? Well there are many reasons. One of the most important reasons, is feedback. We all need feedback on our work. Sometimes after working on a piece for so long, we fail to see its problems. It's good for writers to see their work with fresh eyes. You will find things popping up in your work that you never saw before. Aside from seeing the problems, it's also good to see what is working. You will also see how your work affects others. Did it touch them, make them laugh, or make them sad? Did it affect them at all? You need to know what works in your writing, and if your intentions are coming through. The other members of the group can help you with that, by telling you of their reactions to your piece. The second reason is for networking. As an artist, it's so easy to get lost in the world of the "day-job". We need to be nurtured and surrounded by others that are of the same species. We can learn about new opportunities from our fellow writers and also be supportive of each other through tough times. The third important reason is for confidence. Letting others read your personal work is very agonizing. If you're like me, you would probably rather face a vicious Pit Bull than have your work critiqued by others. However, if you can survive it, you will posess great strength and confidence to face almost anything. After all, agents, producers and editors won't be as kind when it comes to your work. The writing group will help you prepare for any type of critique. The better you are able to handle critique, the stronger a writer you'll be.

Ideally, your very first meeting could be in a café that's centrally located between all of the members. However, you will find that a public place is not ideal for future writers' meetings. Often times, a restaurant or café is too noisy and distracting, and you won't be able to hear each other without yelling. Also, if the restaurant is a busy one, the management won't appreciate you hanging out for hours! One tradition that has worked for my group is rotating houses for meetings, where it's quiet and private. Each meeting is held at a certain member's house, and that person provides the food and drinks. There's a rotation between all the members, so it's fair for everyone. You'll find that it's nice to have regular changes of scenery and variety of free food! You also won't mind having to host either, because the writers come to you so you don't have to drive anywhere! It works out for everyone.

At the first meeting, you should definitely set the ground rules and let each writer express their feelings and writing goals. You should stress that the group's purpose is to be supportive to each other and the craft, and voice any other intentions you have for the group. This should be a fun meeting where everyone can get to know each other. If someone decides to turn in a piece of work for the next meeting, that writer should feel free to talk about it a little and express what their looking for in the comments. For instance, if a writer turns in a script and is specifically looking to see if there's enough comedy in it, the other writers should focus more on finding the humor, rather than typos and technical errors. Sometimes a writer will just turn something in and want overall comments. That's fine too. The more you can express your needs specifically, the better the other writers can help you.

When talking about a writer's work, I find that it is best for the writer (the one in the "hot" seat) to tape the meeting. I use a hand-held microcassette recorder. Most of the time, there will be a lot of notes given. Writers will jump in with comments and sometimes talk over each other. Unless you're a fast writer who knows shorthand, it will be hard to catch it all. By taping the meeting, you can sit and listen to everyone and just jot down specific notes. Later when you're rewriting, you can listen back to your tape in case you forget something.

There should be a format of how you choose to discuss the work. One way is to start with each member giving general comments about the overall work. After each person has had a chance to speak, the group can move into a page-by-page critique, giving the writer specific notes about certain scenes or sections of their work. Using a red pen, the members should also write their notes on the work itself, so the writer can refer back to them when rewriting. The more specific you can be, the more helpful it will be to the writer.

One thing that will make or break your group, is how the members critique the work. You must all remember that the group's purpose is support! All members need to be CONstructive not DEstructive! There is no room in writers' groups for big egos, jealousy and competitiveness. If you find yourself in a group with these elements, run!

The first important rule to follow when critiquing other writers' work is to be honest. Lying will not serve any purpose, even though you want to save the writer's feelings. If there is a problem in the work, you need to address it. Telling a writer their work is perfect when it is not, is wrong and a waste of everyone's time. It will deceive the writer into thinking that their work is flawless and will set them up for harsh rejection. The best way to go about it is to attack the problems in the work, not the work itself. Avoid words that insult, and avoid making jokes about the piece. This behavior can be very hurtful and can destroy a person's writing career. Instead, try asking questions about certain things in the piece that may not make sense to you. By posing questions to the writer, it makes he or she think about it in detail and realize if it works or doesn't. For example, you can say: "I don't understand this character and why he does what he does. What is his motivation in taking this action?" The writer will then have to address the question, and you can tell him whether his intention was clear or not. Another good thing to do is focus on the positive things in the piece, as well as the problems. Even though a group is not being insulting, a writer can still feel discouraged by all the problems in his work. Addressing the positive things will encourage the writer, and will help him see what is working well in his piece. Remember, the members' opinions are just that. It's OK to disagree with any of it. When listening to feedback, take in what you can use, but know that it's OK to leave aside what doesn't work for you. The writer should feel free to ask questions too. If a piece of feedback is confusing, ask the others what they think. Keep the communication flowing. Another good way to help a writer is to give helpful suggestions to some of the problems. When a creative group of people gets together, profound things can happen. There have been many times when I've sat in a meeting with other writers and brainstormed all kinds of possibilities about problems in my script, and then found a better way to write a scene than the one I had before.

So now you've joined a group and it's going pretty steadily… but somehow you feel that your work is being torn apart and you're not getting any constructive feedback. Well then, it's time to say goodbye. The most important thing is you and your writing, and if the group is not helping you improve your craft, then you need to break yourself away from it. I know many writers who feel the need to stay, because they're afraid that they won't be able to get any other feedback on their work. Don't stay with a group that's destroying your confidence. It's better to not get be part of a group at all, than be part of a destructive one. Sometimes it may help to get your feelings out in the open and tell the others what's bothering you. Keep the communication open and flowing through the group. You may find that the other writers feel the same and the group can work together towards a positive solution. Sometimes writers hide behind big egos because they're afraid to show their vulnerability and their fears. You yourself may be the one hiding, and not realize it. There will be times when another writer will have some good news, they've sold a book, or got an agent perhaps. Even though a natural instinct is to be jealous, try looking beyond those feelings and see what good can come out of it. Remember that it's not a competition. You're not competing against the other writers. Whatever good happens to them does not make you any less of a writer. Try seeing the positive in their news. After all, their success can be yours too. They may be able to hook you up with their agent, or share information with you that could benefit your writing career!

Lastly and most importantly, have fun! Attending group meetings should not be like going to the dentist, even though it may feel like it sometimes. Remember that aside from the work involved, it's OK to have fun too. There will be times that no one will have anything to discuss. That's OK. You should schedule a meeting anyway to keep it going. If there's no work to discuss, plan a field trip to a museum or go see a movie together and discuss it. The closer you are to the other members the stronger your group will be!

If your group is successful, you will find that you will learn from each other and all grow to be better writers together. You will learn just as much from critiquing other people's work as well as receiving the critiques. You will learn how to accept critique as part of your craft, and your confidence as a writer will grow and flourish!