Why My Writers' Group Rules

A few years ago – six or seven to be exact – my friend Karin suggested we form a writers' group. We were both journalists at the time and, as luck would have it, were also both writing our first real novels. (We both had our “drawer novels” tucked tightly away in the darkest corners we could find by then.) We met a few times with each other to go over our writings, before the annual Sandhills Writers' Conference took place at our alma mater. We met two additional writers there and we were off and running. We had four people. Things were bound to get good.

And it did. We met at restaurants and bookstores, where we picked up a fifth member. Distractions forced us to meet at Karin's house. Since her living room was a sort of deep rose color, we became the Red Room Writers. We've been meeting at her place ever since. Over the years some members have come and gone, but overall the core group has remained pretty stable. Core members tend to come in waves. It looks like we're on the third wave of good people, and we've still got three of the five originals, with a fourth coming for visits every now and then.

Since we started, Karin has been published several times by Simon & Schuster, and I've attracted an agent and publisher interest. We've all become much better writers than we were when we began. These are all hallmarks of a successful writers' group.

Here are a few of the reasons the Red Room Writers has been so good for its members.

1.It's a small, closed group. At most, I think we've had eight people show up. The optimal number is between four and six, because there just won't be enough time and energy to give each writer's work the attention it deserves if there are too many people.
2.We are at roughly the same level. If you are working out complex character details and your group member is trying to figure out how to construct a paragraph, he is not going to be of much use to you. Likewise, if you aren't at a level that's advanced enough to understand what your fellow writers are talking about, you're going to feel frustrated and left out. A potential member doesn't necessarily have to be as polished as the rest of us right off the bat, but we have to be reasonably sure he or she can catch up pretty quickly. And they have to be able to give and receive constructive criticism.
3.It's a safe, supportive environment. We do criticize each other's work during group meetings. That's why we meet. But every person in the room is mindful of everyone's feelings, without pulling punches. They have stopped me on numerous occasions from being a complete idiot. People who are hesitant to read their work in the beginning soon get over that fear, because it is such a supportive, helpful environment. At the same time, there have been prospective members who have completely thrown off the meetings by monopolizing the group's time and by talking down to other members. They didn't last long. You should never allow negative influences to hang around. Your writing is much too important. That doesn't mean we never argue, but it's always good-natured, well-intentions – and, above all, helpful.
4.We have a method. We have a particular way we go about doing things, and we stick to it...pretty much. We meet every other Sunday. Each person is to bring ten pages of their newest work, with enough copies to go around. The author reads her (we're mostly women – poor Steve!) work out loud while everyone else listens and makes notes. Afterward, there is a critique session. Not every group works this way, of course. Some get copies to its members before the meeting. There are pros and cons to each method, but the important thing is to choose a way of working and stick to it. Not rigidly, of course. Sometimes you will go through a nonproductive period. Sometimes you may have more than or fewer than ten pages. But in the beginning, at least, it's a good idea to stick to the rules as closely as you can. (As a matter of fact, if you are not yet disciplined writers, the main goal could be to simply get everyone writing regularly.)
5.We are all novelists. That doesn't mean we don't share the occasional short story. But having a group focused on a particular type allows its members greater focus. If you are a poet, you are likely to get more useful criticism from other poets than from novelists, and vice-versa. We aren't all the same type of writers, however, and I have to admit I like that. It gives us a bit of variety. But the fact that we are all novelists, and understand the problems that novelists encounter, makes it a lot easier to work together.
6.We have a goal. The main goal of the Red Room Writers is to get its members published. To that end, we help each other polish our work and catch mistakes, catch up on everyone's agent-hunting adventures, and offer support and guidance where we can. A lot of what goes on in our meetings is about keeping everyone's morale high.

In a way, putting together a writing group is a little like putting together a band. So much has to mesh on a personal and a creative level, or it just won't work very well. Don't be discouraged if it takes a while for your group to gel. Just keep going until you've found the right people. We’re meeting tomorrow and I can’t wait.