Writing Alone, Writing Together

With a hat tip to one of my writing mentors, Judy Reeves, I thought I’d write about writing groups….

The first writing group I ever attended was a half-day workshop facilitated by Judy Reeves, author of A Writer’s Book of Days, and Writing Alone, Writing Together (and More!) .  It was in 19- 90-something hosted by the first iteration of the San Diego Writing Center.  The 4th Street building was once part of  San Diego’s Chinatown around the turn of the century, a detail that irrelevant, but interesting.  My best friend Karin had invited me…

Judy shared writing prompts and set the timer.  The rules were simple–to keep the pen moving.  We wrote, and wrote, and wrote.  And we shared.  I still remember one prompt: we each wrote a secret, real or fiction,onto a small scrap of paper and put it into a basket from which we chose at random.  One woman, had drawn the secret “He had webbed hands…”  She wrote a story of a monk, who chose the monastic life not for some calling to god, but because of the robes.  He could hide his hands…  and then he discovered his webbed hands made him a well suited for kitchen work.  She wrote this story in 15 minutes and I was in awe.  And I was hooked on the energy, the synergy that happens when writing together. What your writing friends do for a living, how old they are, their relationship status, their level of education, how many kids they have didn’t matter at all. You connect with your community on a heart level.

Several years later, after I’d taken many more classes and workshops I joined a
read and critique group–also facilitated by Judy.  In this group I’d found people who understood me–my fellow writers.  Most of us were not published, we weren’t even submitting our work yet, but we were dedicated to honing our craft.  We were committed to writing our best.  It was then that I was able to call myself a writer.  That group gave me the confidence to pursue a Masters of Fine Arts in creative writing. (Many of those colleagues will be gathering at the annual AWP conference–if you’re going, be sure to get your survival guide now!)

I’ve written with other groups since then:  at the Taos Summer Writers’ Conference, in my MFA program with other grad students, and in my own Monday Writers Group.  In each of these groups I’ve found people I could count on to read my work, to encourage me, and offer advice for improvement.  People I can trust to judge the writing, not me. There is something magical about having a group of people with whom you write.  In each group I’ve learned something about craft, I’ve read all kinds of writing, and seen my work through different lenses. Even in the worst workshop ever (from my MFA program with a visiting writer/instructor–no, not you Michelle and not you Dana) I learned… how NOT to facilitate a group.

I’m feeling the urge for a writers group. A face to face one.  One where I commit to submitting work and reading the work of colleagues.  Are you part of a regular group?  Do you facilitate a group?  What’s your best advice for someone who is new to writing groups?

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