Make Writing Group Magic

Find common interests
When forming a group, the members should have a common interest. That may sound obvious, but "writers" can range from poets and beat reporters to screenwriters. My group consists entirely of non-fiction freelance journalists. That wasn't always the case. Before I joined, it had a mix of freelancers and full-time staff members. In addition to scheduling conflicts (freelancers could meet during the day, staffers couldn't), staffers didn't share the freelance issues of getting paid, pitching ideas, and juggling multiple editors.

"It's important that everyone's in agreement about what the main focus of the group will be," says Joy Kennelly, a publicist and blogger who started the writers' group Blog/ Zine Network and is also a member of Beach Writers, four marketing folks who meet for breakfast once a month in Hermosa Beach. Even though each Beach Writer covers a different field -- ranging from video games and medical issues to business communications -- they're all in marketing, so they can offer each other help, with referrals and other issues. My group is similar: we have a foodie, a health nut, an eco-guru, and a tech writer, among others, but because we all write for magazines and newspapers, we're constantly exchanging editors' contact info, offering sources, and drumming up story angles.

Follow a leader
The second order of business is to appoint a facilitator. In my group, Melanie is ours. She keeps track of cell phone and e-mail addresses, and announces the times and location of meetings. During the session, she sets the pace and keeps us on track. Gisele Perez, a caterer and food columnist for GoddessQueenMagazine.com, believes that having a moderator conduct the meetings is critical. "I was in a writers' group for a year where we did not have a facilitator and found it was a waste of time," Perez says. "The pre-work chit chat went on for way too long. People were free to come and go as they pleased."

Perez eventually joined another group where the facilitator was paid. Whether or not a fee is appropriate depends on the facilitator's role. Fees tend to be the norm when facilitators serve as a teacher or mentor (e.g., leading workshops in their home). My group does not pay dues, but Kennelly charges $35 annually for her Blog/ Zine Network because she keeps a detailed calendar and plans to organize seminars.

Put business before pleasure
We are working writers, and we treat our sessions as business meetings. We gather during business hours (evening meetings result in too many cancellations) and stick to the issues at hand. We usually follow the format described above, although at times we dedicate the agenda to a specific topic, like tax issues for writers. All this doesn't mean the meetings can't be fun, but you don't want to get so caught up in socializing and rendezvousing at lively locations that its purpose is lost.

Make your voice heard
Come prepared to participate and offer contributions to others. Natalie Bovis-Nelsen, editor and creator of TheLiquidMuse.com, says that the writers' groups that work for her are those where people bring something to the table. "I prefer pro-active members who have ideas on how to move forward," she says. During my group's sessions, we constantly help each other flesh out angles to our pieces (for example, Rina is working on a square dancing piece, and someone suggests tying it into Alzheimer's and the studies that show dancing slows the disease's progress). We also talk money -- how much to charge, how to negotiate, and figuring out the best way to phrase a request for higher pay. (We settled on "Hmmm. $1 per word is fine but $1.50 would be better.")

Quit complaining
Fuming, criticizing, and complaining isn't usually a productive endeavor, so limit your urge to blow off steam. In my writers' group, we don't waste (too much) time venting, but we can't resist sharing a little bit of the ridiculous incidents we encounter in our lives as freelancers -- say, an editor who is appalled over the use of the word "whimsical" or another who promised to drop a check in the mail the next time she let her dogs out (weeks later the check had yet to arrive -- by now those dogs must really have to go). It may feel good to air out frustrations, but overall your group should be interested in solutions.

Cultivate accountability
Having a group that holds you accountable will help you achieve your goals. During one meeting, Amy, Melanie and I promised each other we would ask our editors for a raise. Pay bumps don't come automatically in the freelance world and asking for more money can be one of my least favorite parts of the job. But knowing that my writers' group would hold me accountable motivated me to swallow my fear and follow through. Amy and Melanie both kept their promises too, and we were happy to report we each received a pay increase. At a recent meeting, Michele and I both announced we would finish book projects we are working on this summer. "We'll hold you two to that," Melanie said. Knowing we'll be reporting on our progress helps us schedule time to make sure it gets done.

Don't trash others' work
Maybe the most important rule of any writers' group is to be respectful of one another. There's a balance between offering valuable advice and being too frank. Plenty of rejection comes with the territory of writing, and the group shouldn't add to that. Avital Binshtock, a journalist and regular contributor to the LA Times, was in a writers' group she found too discouraging. "There was a lot of negativity draped in the guise of constructive criticism," she says. "People came close to trashing each others' work, while I sat silent and somewhat befuddled." She eventually left the group. Abigail Lewis, former editor-in-chief of Whole Life Times, sums it up best. When finding a good mix of people, "the chemistry has to be just right." If there are one or two people in the group who are disrespectful or feel like less of a good fit, the group might not work, she says. Having the right attitude and good intentions will foster creativity, and help the group develop their skills and improve their writing practice.

[Jenny Rough is a freelance writer. She writes the blog Roughly Speaking.]