My best girlfriend is a writer. So, when she suggested that we get together once a week to write, I simply couldn’t pass up the opportunity for positive feedback from someone I trust. We get together every Thursday afternoon, when her husband and kids are out of the house and all’s quiet and we write. Over the last several months I’ve learned a valuable lesson, that writing doesn’t have to be a solitary exercise; getting together with writer friends can be an amazing experience!

Start Small

My writing group has never grown; it’s always been just my best girlfriend and I, which is not something likely to change. We work great together, have a shared dynamic of trust, and just enough difference in life experience to be useful as a sounding board for one another. Small is okay, it’s a comfortable place to start. Many writers have trouble sharing their work, but starting a small writing circle is a great way to break out of the shell. No writer sells what he or she is not willing to share.

Friendly Faces

Like me, many writers have friends who write. If you have friends who write go to them first. Trust is an important dynamic with any writing group and going to friends first can make sharing your work easier. Friends say things others can’t, they can offer painless critical suggestions that might be painful by other sources, and can be a shoulder to lean on when you need support. I have many writer friends, but unlike my best girlfriend most of them live out of town. When your writer friends are not local, the net is a great way to connect. Tools like Skype and Yahoo! Groups make long distance writing circles easier to wrangle.

Don’t Just Write, Share

A writing group is about your work, about growing as an author, and spending time productively. It is also about sharing what you’ve written and critiquing the work of your group-mates. My girlfriend and I start our sessions by reading what the other has written since the last meeting, offering suggestions about how the work might be improved, and helping to clear up anything that’s problematic. Try starting each group session by sharing a small sample of what you’re working on with your group. You might just be amazed by what others will see in your work that you didn’t.

Small Victories

Whenever my friend or I have written something we’re proud of we share with one another. This small boost to confidence and instantaneous feedback is food for the writing soul. Writing groups are an amazing source of inspiration, so share your small victories with your group. When you sell your work, email your group-mates and allow them to share in your larger victories, as well. Most importantly, when you suffer defeat, allow your writing circle to offer their support.  No writer is impervious to the word no and having a support system helps pad the blow.

Photo by Markus Rödder