As I write this, I’m sitting on a train bound for Richmond, CA. When I get there I will switch to the BART and go the rest of the way into San Francisco. I’m doing this as part of a Shut Up and Write group, which is a great way to introduce today’s topic.
Shut Up and Write is a somewhat organic group where writers of all types can get together and do what the name says. There is a larger, over-arching organization to it, but for the most part, it’s managed at the cellular level. Regional leaders and hosts set up sessions, and meetup.com is used to manage times and locations. It’s been going for a long time, and it, or something like it, will continue for a long time more.
I’m not sure how to classify this type of group. There are others like it: headless, wide-spread, generalized groups of writers that are basically providing a platform and excuse for strangers to get together and form temporary or long-term writing groups. Let’s give these types of groups and communities a name: Space Monkeys. I’m choosing this name because the way these groups operate at the lowest level reminds me of Fight Club.
The Pros of Space Monkeys
They are eternal. They are everywhere. They are very general. Whatever you write, it’s okay. You’ll fit in. You might even find other people that also enjoy what you write. Space Monkeys are a great way to meet other writers, and it’s low risk, and low commitment.
The Cons of Space Monkeys
If you’re looking for feedback, you’re not likely to find it with the Space Monkeys. At least, not at first. It’s possible that you and some other Space Monkeys might get together and form a different type of group, but that’s not what it is to be a Space Monkey. When you go to Shut Up and Write, you’re there to shut up and write. In general, Space Monkeys foster shallow connections, and it’s possible you can wind up in a group of writers that have very little in common with you, other than you’re all putting words on a page.
Is NaNoWriMo a Space Monkey Group?
I think that with the way I’ve described these groups, NaNoWriMo is a seasonal Space Monkey. There is a corporate head at the top that makes money off of merchandising, but the sessions themselves are managed at the lowest level by volunteers. It counts in all the ways I described before, with the same pros and cons. It has an additional con of being once or twice a year.
Let’s shift gears and talk about another type of writing community that I don’t see many people talk about. This community appears on social media platforms, such as Twitter, and is less structured than the previous type of community (I don’t want to say Space Monkey again, because I’ve already said that so many times). To really talk about these other communities, we have to comment on Twitter and what a cesspool it is. Groups of writers find each other amidst all the chaos and cat videos and political firestorms. When they find each other, they’ll take to specific hashtags or long threads, and then prosper in spite of everything else going on around them. Let’s give this type of group a fun name, too: Lifeboats.
Pros of Lifeboats
Lifeboats save lives, and these communities act as a shelter in the storm. You can form deep, lasting connections with the other people in your Lifeboat. The people within a Lifeboat tend to create their own vernacular, which looks like inside jokes to people on the outside, but they convey more than just humor. Lifeboats can (and honestly should) convert into other types of groups.
Cons of Lifeboats
The Lifeboat exists in spite of the platform it exists on, so when the platform changes, the Lifeboat can take on water and sink. Lifeboats tend not to last very long. If a Lifeboat lasts more than a couple of years, it’s kind of a miracle.
Lifeboats exist because of the enthusiasm of the people involved. Sometimes, it’s just a handful of people keeping the party going, and when they burn out or get swept up in other matters, the Lifeboat can stop serving its purpose and quietly go away.
More Thoughts on Lifeboats
I have spoke before of WriteFightGifClub on Twitter, which is (or arguably was) a Lifeboat. There is a branch of it on Discord, but a lot of the personalities that gave the group energy have moved on. Also, Twitter has become even worse.
These kinds of groups are more common than one might think. I remember meeting other writers on City of Heroes and World of Warcraft. We were writing short stories featuring our characters and sharing them with each other. These are like tiny Lifeboats that come and go in a blink.
I still haven’t talked about traditional writing communities or writing groups And to that I say: why start now? There is another type of writing community I want to talk about and name. The name for this group shall be: The Disciples.
The Disciples are writing communities that form around another writer, or a group of writers. The head of the community generally has a force of personality, and puts a great deal of effort into cultivating and growing the community. Examples of this type of writing community include Writing Excuses and Gallowglas Army.
Pros of The Disciples
Writers that are Disciples have a common interest, which is the podcast or personality that brought them together in the first place. Disciples can form deep, personal connections, and because of the common interest, they often come together for focused activities, similar to the Space Monkeys.
The Disciples often have many of the properties of other, more conventional writing groups, in that they can provide and receive feedback.
Cons of The Disciples
When the head of the group goes away, so does the group. There would be no Gallowglas Army without Michael Gallowglas. There would be no Writing Excuses community without the hosts of the podcast. Writing Excuses is trying to give the community a longer lifespan by bringing in new hosts, but that approach doesn’t work for every Disciple group.
More Thoughts on The Disciples
These are some of my favorite groups, partly because another common interest within these groups is a huge desire to improve their craft. Michael, Mary Robinette, Dan, and Howard all give master classes on writing. While all of us have different paths as writers, the people I just mentioned have reached high points on their path and are able to offer pointers to those of us that aren’t quite as far along.
Traditional Writing Groups and Communities
I don’t have fancy names for these groupings. There are critique partners, critique groups, and writing groups. Rather than break them into pros and cons, I’ll just describe them and provide hints for how to make them successful.
Critique Partners
This is the smallest group, with the deepest connection. I usually see these as pairs, but people can have more than one critique partner. If there are more than two people trading manuscripts and critiques, then it’s probably more of a critique group, which I’ll talk about in a moment.
I’ve never had a critique partner, though I have wanted one for a long time. You and your ideal critique partner should both be writing at the same level, with roughly the same level of output. You do not have to write in the same genre, though you should be fans of each other’s work.
A good critique partner is a few inches away from being a writing partner, when it’s done right. You need to have a good enough relationship and enough honesty between each other that bad news can be shared right along with the good. A good critique partner should be able to help you be the best writer you can be without being cruel.
The relationship between a writer and an editor can be like this, though that’s a more one-sided relationship. Again, your critique partner should be someone that is at roughly the same place as you on their writing journey, and you should both be heavily invested in trying to make each other excel.
Critique Groups
If critique partners are like a marriage, critique groups are like a family. Critique groups function by keeping all of its members fed with what they need. Critique groups are comprised of three or more people, and they read each other’s work, and provide valuable criticism.
The members of a critique group do not all have to be at the same level or place in their journey, and they do not need to all be writing in the same genre. If we’re being honest, not everyone in a critique group needs to be a writer. However, everyone involved in the group should have some level of appetite for the things the writers are submitting.
I have been in many critique groups, and I am currently in one now. The first group broke apart because we didn’t know how to provide valuable critiques, and we weren’t all getting what we needed from the group. The second group dissolved when the main person hosting it disappeared due to some tragic medical issue (they’re fine, now). The third group is still going, just without me; I couldn’t stand most of the stories I was required to read, and I wound up leaving. I was not a good fit in the fourth group, either; everyone else was mostly writing YA, and since I don’t read much YA, my critiques were of very little value.
The fifth group has been a good fit, so far. We’ve been going for about 3 years now, and we all get along. I like the stories I’m reading. We have a lot of mutual respect. It is very functional.
It may not take you five groups before you find the right one. I’m an odd duck, and a bit of an asshole, sometimes. If I can find a group, anyone can. You just have to keep looking.
Writing Groups
Writing groups are very similar to critique groups, just a little bit more relaxed. Critique groups are generally about the writers helping each other gain perspective on their work. Writing groups can do that, too, but they’re mostly there to provide encouragement and support so that writers can actually write.
All of the groups I’ve described on this page could be called a writer’s group, just like you can refer to a lion or a tiger as a cat. Writing groups can come in any shape or size, and they can have differing goals from each other. If you’re in a writing group and it works for you, you’re doing something right. If you’re in a writing group and it is consistently bringing you down or not giving you need, you should find a different group.
With all writing groups, determine what you want from the group in advance, then communicate it with your group. You can save everyone a lot of time and pain just by identifying problems before they arise. It is not a bad thing to leave a group before it does you or someone else harm. The tragedy would be to stay in a group that is routinely discouraging you and keeping you from writing and improving your craft.
That is all I have to say about writing groups and communities. If I’ve left out any important groups, let me know.