Six Reasons Why Writing is Better with a Group ~ by Author Kristin Wolfgang

Darlene Javar and Jacquolyn McMurray writing

     Most people consider writing a solitary task. Thoughts travel through fingers to tap on a keyboard. The end goal is to share writing with readers, but not until it is complete: edited, revised and published.  That may be the stereotype, but it turns out: writing is better with friends.

Darlene Javar reading her published poetry to us 

     When people discover I’m a published writer, they want to know how I got started. I’ve always loved to write, but it wasn’t until I was invited to join a group that I started taking my writing seriously. 

     The six reasons why writing is better in a group are: motivation, learning about genres of writing, critiquing, exploring markets, writing retreats and friendship.

 

Novelist Jacquolyn McMurray

1: Motivation

When you know you’ll be meeting with your writing group every month, you are motivated to write! We bring drafts to group to share, give each other recommendations on improvements and bring back improved drafts the next month. Many Friday nights, I sit at my computer working on my writing so it will be ready to share the next day at group.

2: Genre Exploration 

For the first eight years, our group had four members. We were interested in different genres, but we all had the goal of becoming published authors. Several of us tried short stories, essays, and poetry. We did writing exercises together using Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones and prompts from other books. When we heard about NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) in 2009, two of us decided to spend extra time writing together in November and cranked out our first novels.

Beginning writers should try out a few genres to see which they like most. I went from essay to short story to poetry to songs to mystery novels to educational nonfiction to romance novels to children’s chapter books!

Writing goals- posted! 

3: Critique

      Beginning writers are easily intimidated when it comes to sharing their writing. It can feel like taking your first-born baby to the doctor. You know you need to have her checked, but you fear what the doctor might say about your perfect little darling. To protect our egos, our group has strict rules about how to critique. Everyone brings printed copies of their work so that each member has a copy. The writer reads their work aloud while the other members take notes on their copies. The writer often tells the group what they want from the critique.

      One of our members only writes poetry and she often wants to talk about specific words. She asks questions like: “What images come to mind and how do the words work with the other words in the poem?” A short story writer may want to discuss only one part of their story. The most important rule is to focus on the writing. Be careful not to attack. It is important to share what is good about the writing as well as what needs improvement. 

Poet Darlene Javar in California

4: Markets

        Our group also spends time sharing the writing technique books and magazines that we own. We share and investigate publishers, agents, and tools like Scrivener and querytracker.com. We critique query letters, synopses and book proposals. We share contests and upcoming events. We have attended several local writing conferences together.

5: Retreats

     In 2012, I moved to Texas. We vowed to have yearly retreats, so we’d write together for a week every year. Setting aside a whole week for just writing is a great idea. We set goals on the first night and planned to keep any extra outings to a minimum. We walk daily and keep a good supply of chocolate.  For the five years I was gone, we met in five different places and wrote.

  

     In 2017, I moved back to Hawai´i and we’re still meeting once a month with yearly four-day retreats.  This year, Jacquolyn and I are working on a Christmas novella duet (two shorter novels sold together) to self-publish in November 2019. We’re both working on our own projects—my chapter book series and her historical romance. Darlene still writes poetry and joins us when she can. We’re also working with new writers to help them get started and form their own writing groups.

 Novelists Jacquolyn McMurray and Joanne Jaytanie (visiting Hawai´i) and me

6: Friendship

     Besides the wealth of writing, critiquing and sharing we have done, my three writing partners have become lifelong friends. I can honestly say that without our writing group, I wouldn’t be writing today.  

     How can you find a writing group? Talk to people around you about writing. Go to local writing conferences. Look on the internet for groups in your area. 

     Author Kristin Wolfgang wrote 102 Reading Response Lessons and Star of My Heart, a sweet romance novella. She teaches 5th and 6th grade at Volcano School of Arts and Sciences and has four lovely children. She is working on a Christmas Romance duet with Jacquolyn McMurray and is writing her chapter book series (ages 6-12): Animal Saving Sisters. She’d love to hear from you! Send her your comments and questions at mskriswolf@gmail.com.  ALOHA!