Writers Groups: What They Are

Writers groups are exactly what they sound like: a group of writers getting together and working to improve their craft.

How do they go about improving their craft? This can happen in a few ways. With writers groups, the important thing is to have a specific goal. The goal will help determine what kind of group you should look to join (or start; I’m more of a start one myself kind of gal).

There are many types of groups available. Here is a break down of what I believe to be the four most common types of writers groups.

Accountability Group

Goal: To finish or make progress on a project you are struggling with.

Accountability groups harness the power of positive peer pressure. These groups are often the most helpful when you’ve stalled out on a project or are having trouble getting into the swing of it.  Accountability groups are also helpful if you know yourself to be the sort of person who loses focus mid-project.

In my experience, during the first accountability group meeting, you setup your goals. For example, I will finish writing two chapters of my novel. After that, the meetings function as deadlines. At the meetings, each member gets the chance to speak. They say what their goals were, if they achieved them, and if not why not. Then they set their new goals.

Prompt Writing Group

Goal: To create or nurture the habit of writing.

At prompt writing groups, the focus is actually sitting and writing. A prompt can be a short sentence or phrase, a song, an image, or an object. At the meeting, a prompt is given and members have a set amount of time to write something about it. Often the writing is then shared.

Prompt writing groups are a great way to ensure you’re getting regular writing practice in. They push you to explore new topics and provide you with opportunities to experiment with different writing styles or techniques.

Critique Group

Goal: To receive (and provide for others) feedback on a specific piece of writing.

Critique groups focus on things you’ve already written. As with all writing groups, there are several ways critique groups can be run. Typically, you submit a piece of writing to be critiqued and the other members have until the next meeting to read what you have submitted and make notes on it.

At the meeting, the piece is discussed and then the next piece to be critiqued is submitted. There is a need for reciprocity in critique groups. If you want your writing to be critiqued, you need to be willing to critique other people’s writing in turn.

Discussion Group

Goal: To talk about all things writing related.

These groups generally go one of two ways. The first option is a less structured group in which members chat about whatever writing-related things tickle their fancy. They may have some loose topic ideas, but essentially it’s writing people talking about writing things. This approach is lovely if you are looking for community and connection in a more laid-back environment.

The other way is more structured in that each meeting has a specific theme. Often with this approach guest speakers are invited to present to the group on the chosen theme. This is great if you are looking to get expert knowledge on various aspects of the writing and publishing process.

Those are four basic types of writers groups. If you can think of any I’ve missed or have questions, let me know in the comments.

In the next post, I will share some thoughts on how to go about starting up your own writers group. Or, if you’d simply like to join a group, sign up for my mailing list to receive email notifications about my group coaching (a form of accountability group) and prompt writing groups.

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