After my blogs on writing groups, I received several personal e-mails from people who discussed problems they had in their previous experiences.

Possible problems can occur when a writer shares a rough draft and would like “big picture” comments on plot, character, and theme but instead receives a “line-edit” critique.

Before your present your manuscript, make sure and share with your group what stage of writing it is. What do you need to hear at that point? What are you open to hearing? What don’t you need to hear? What part of the manuscript do you feel is the weakest and how could they help you the most?

If, after you’ve outlined your “rules” people still ignore them, you may thank the critiquers and realize that those people either weren’t listening to your requests or are not able to think in a “big picture” way. They may feel compelled to share something rather than nothing.

Of course, this isn’t helpful, but a waste of time. Unfortunately, if this happens a lot, then the group doesn’t work well.

Ultimately, the person decided to drop from this group. Fortunately, he found another one that worked much better.

Depending upon your specific situation, you might try again the next time and remind people of your goal. But if reminding doesn’t help, and you aren’t receiving enough constructive critique from your group, then it might be time to either have a polite and honest discussion with the members, or else drop out.

When I began writing many years ago, I took a marvelous class offered by an adult school program. The last part of the class the teacher allowed students to read and the class critiqued the members. I learned early on to judge which people in the class wanted what kind of critique. I also found out how to ignore the comments that weren’t helpful to me. Through that class, people also formed separate critique groups based on these insights of listening skills, writing-genres, interests, etc.

Other problems encountered in critique groups have been one person taking over the critiques, tardiness, hurt feelings and not enough structure (too much off-topic talking). Sometimes, by setting up a few rules in the beginning, you can help prevent these things from happening. And if they do occur, start of the next meeting by a discussion of a setting a new precedent.

Have there been any problems that have come up in your groups? How have you handled them? If you care to share privately or on this blog, feel free. We all learn from each other.

Thank you Jack, Camille and Susan for chiming in and letting us know how you work with your writing groups. Through their networking (California Writers Club, Sisters in Crime, and online writer’s forums) the three have found communities to support their writing.

Liz’s Top Ten Reasons Why You Should Join a Writer’s Group

1. Help you with discipline! You know the date your meeting looms. If you don’t show up with a manuscript, you’ll be teased, shamed or forced to give up books and chocolate for a month.

2. Improve your writing. Through everyone’s critiquing of your work, you’ll discover your writing strengths and weaknesses and how to improve your craft.

3. Improve your own ability to critique. Learn how to discuss writing technique, styles, and craft.

4. Get ideas. Brainstorming frequently occurs and ideas multiply!

5. Form a bond with fellow writers.

6. Discuss reading, books, and literature when appropriate. Find the next book you should read to help you with your writing project.

7. Network with regards to markets, conferences, editors,
agents . . .

8. Get yourself away from too much work at school, home, work-work, noisy children, dirty dishes, elder care, a messy house, a cluttered office, or whatever is driving you bonkers at home.

9. Since you want others to take you seriously, saying you’re in a writer’s group gives you credibility.

10. Being in a writer’s group provides you with great therapy. If you receive a rejection and you tell a non-writing friend or a spouse they might look at you like a whiner or a loser. But tell your writer’s group, and they will surround you with sympathy, the right words, and the most important thing of all . . . chocolate.

This weekend our writer’s group met. I feel very fortunate to be in an excellent group of writers who all take their work very seriously. We all get along well, and no one takes offense at being critiqued. Focused on writing for children, we meet once a month (although we did take a couple of months off for the summer when vacations and life got in the way) and read our work aloud.

We also provide printed copies out for everyone. “Everyone” totals six people now, although up until a few months ago we had seven. One had to drop out due to her increased work schedule.

We take turns reading our work and then the group shares their thoughts on how the writer can improve the manuscript. Sometimes the writer brings an idea, and we conduct a brainstorming session. Fun energy abounds, as words fly back and forth. If we could see our thoughts, large colorful illustrations would pop up as giant bubbles all around us!

The great thing about our group is that we all get along, we enjoy each other’s work, and we are writing for a similar audience. We also share markets, advice, and industry news with each other.

What about you and your group? What do you like about it? Or are you having difficulties with it? Share what works for you or how you’ve overcome a problem you’ve encountered.

Writing prompts: 1. Write a scene using a writer’s group as the setting, with writers as the characters. Through in conflict for spice! 2. The title of this story: My Writer’s Group Went to New York. (Yes, it can be a fantasy. Or even a murder mystery!) 3. Write an essay about your experiences with writer’s groups.