Writing Advice Wednesday: Writing Groups
Monday night I attended a panel given by the Chunky Monkeys, a Boston-area writing group that began in 2012, and since then, nearly every member has gone on to publish a book (or two!). They somehow figured out how to make it work, and shared their knowledge about forming and sustaining a writing group.
My own writing group is coming up on our one year anniversary, so here are some take-aways from their talk, and from my experience.
Trust: A writing group needs trust, which is key when you’re sharing your work with one another. The Chunky Monkeys assured us, though, that trust doesn’t necessarily need to be there at the get-go, but that you should allow it to grow.
Vulnerability: Building on trust, there was a lot of talk about vulnerability with one another. You need to be vulnerable when you’re sharing your work with others, but also express your fears, frustrations, and concerns about your writing and experiences with writing. But you should also share your joys as well.
Commitment: Part of the reason why they’ve lasted for so long is commitment. The members knew they wanted to have this kind of group to stay accountable to, but also wanted a group to help them push their writing forward. Committing and taking it seriously has been a key aspect of sustaining for so long.
Fun: A writing group should have fun! The Chunky Monkeys mentioned making t-shirts for each other, and having picnics with family. In my writing group, we laugh and nerd out and have a great time. It also fosters the friendship bonds as well.
Differences: The Chunky Monkeys also stressed having variation in the group: different genres, differ genders, different races, different backgrounds and experiences, so that everyone can get more well-rounded feedback.
Support: Finally, a writing group should be support for one another — not only when you’ve gotten the twentieth rejection, but when you’ve finally gotten that acceptance.
A lot of people at the panel asked about structure, and while I haven’t quite understood the Chunky Monkey schedule, I know that they plan their meetings months in advance, and offer 45 minute time slots for writers to pick. For my writing group, we meet once a month, but we’re still small enough that if each of us wants to submit something, we can. Most of the time just a few of us submit a piece, either a short story or a chapter from a novel or memoir. Currently the group is reading my novel to give me feedback at our next meeting.
How did we meet? We’re just writing acquaintances who just said, “Hey, want to form a writing group?” The rest is and will be history!