The 5 Cs of Writing Groups...+1

I finally made it out to one of my creative writing group meetings yesterday, and was reminded of all the reasons why I joined the group to begin with. I think it's easy for professional writers to see why they need a group or association—networking, resources, etc. But what about before becoming a professional writer? Here are the five top reasons I joined a creative writing group a few years ago.

A Commitment to my writing. Even though I am a disciplined person, I have five children and it is easy for my commitments to them to completely fill my every moment. Joining the group kept my writing in the forefront. If you are a less disciplined person, the group can help you stay focused. You’ll want to bring something to read to every meeting and you’ll probably begin announcing your goals—and then you’ll work hard to accomplish them.

A Challenge to grow as a writer. When another writer finished her novel, it motivated me to finish mine. I started doubling my targeted word count each week. If she could do it, so could I. It was as simple as that. You might also challenge yourself to try a new genre or a new form of writing, or simply to put your work out there.

A Community of writers. My husband is supportive of my writing, but if I told him I slept with my characters, he’d look at me like I had two heads. (For the record, I do not). He, like many non-writers, just doesn't get the process. It’s freeing to admit that I dream about my characters and have others tell me they do too.

A Cheering section. The writers in my group understand how disappointing a rejection can be, and they battle their inner critics too. We offer each other ideas, encouragement and support. And when that fails, I just need to look around the room to see an inspiring group of people who manage to write despite full time jobs, children and chronic illness.

A Coaching circle. Our group has members who write in various genres, both fiction and non-fiction, with varying degrees of experience and success. Some have been published, some have books to their credit, and others are beginners. But all of us have knowledge to share. The newcomer might have tips from a workshop, the veteran a contact.

There's one more reason to join a writing group, the +1 that I mentioned, but it's not a regular part of my group and I've turned elsewhere to find it.

Critique. Encouragement and praise can keep us going when we're writing, but critique will get us published. We need to know what's not working in a piece of writing, and we're often too close to our projects to see for ourselves. I have a wonderful critique partner who isn't afraid to tell me when my characters are immature or too angry, when a scene is weak, or when something is missing. I value her opinions, especially when they're hard to hear, because they make my stories richer.