I now have a writers group. We met for the first time last night. It was a meeting to set up ground rules and for all the members to get to know each other a little better. There are five writers in the group and two additional readers. I’m told this is a good size for a group. It is also a gender balanced group, which I’m also told is a good thing. Since I’ve never been in a writers group before and all of these other people have, I believe them.
I have mixed feelings about the group. I recognize some of the reluctance as the same feeling I used to have whenever I was given group assignments at school. Working alone always seems so much easier, so much less emotionally risky. But if I’m going to make risk-avoidance a priority, then I should stop writing right now. Everyone else in the group has known each other for years in various capacities. This makes me the social newbie as well as the writer’s group newbie. I’m certain that this will shake out as this group forms a group identity. Everyone was welcoming. They laughed when I made jokes. It was very comforting that I could see where the jokes should go and that my jokes fit into the social structure. I’m going to fit into this group, I just don’t quite fit yet.
I’m nervous about the reading load. It is something of a silly worry considering that I go through a novel or more in a week. But reading for critique is a little slower and more involving than reading for pleasure. As soon as I get into it, I’m sure it won’t be much of a burden. It’s just the anticipation of a task that I haven’t done before. And that anticipation is going to drag out because our first official meeting isn’t until August.
Part of my reluctance about the writer’s group is my simple resistence of being labelled or pigeon-holed. I know so many writers who have writers groups. A piece of me wants to separate myself from the crowd by NOT having a writers group. That one is just silly. The reason that so many writers have groups is because the groups are so helpful. I would be stupid to pass up this opportunity to interact with other writers on a weekly basis. Particularly these writers. They’re worth knowing as people and studying as writers.
I got a place in this group because I’m female, reliable, and a friend vouched for me. I’m looking forward to earning the place I’ve been given.
Part of my reluctance about the writer’s group is my simple resistence of being labelled or pigeon-holed. I know so many writers who have writers groups. A piece of me wants to separate myself from the crowd by NOT having a writers group. That one is just silly.
This is one of the reasons I’ve avoided writers’ groups. There’s also my constant worries of (a) what if everyone else there is really literary in tone, and they look at my work as junk food? …and (b) what if everyone there still writes like they’re in junior high, and I have to try to critique horrible work?
So my dislike of doing what others do combined with my fear of social interaction outweighs my attraction to the idea of a group.
In fact, the reason I vouched for you is because your critiques are always spot on, and the other people in the group trust my opinion on such things. 🙂
For the record, I’m having mixed feelings about the group too. I REALLY don’t want one more thing in my life right now. I don’ t have time for all the things I’ve already got, and I don’t have anything to submit, so I’m not going to really benefit from the group for a while.
But I suppose I should try it.
The only reason I joined this group is because a couple of writers that I knew from other places specifically asked if I would join. So I knew the two organizing writers, one really well. I knew another of the writers from convention attendance. The last writer I’d met casually once. None of them are complete unknowns to me and they specifically wanted my input. That is probably the only situation that would have lured me to take this step.
As for reading load, here’s what I do when I’m taking home five pieces a week. Every day, I’m not allowed to read anything else until I’ve critiqued something. Usually this means that when I go to bed I critique something, then read a chapter for pleasure, then turn out the light, but if you read at other times, change the setting accordingly. 🙂
One of the things I like about my online writers’ group is that I can self-dose: I interact when I feel like it and pull back when I want more space.
But I’d still jump at the chance to work with the people who are in your group, and to have occassional Real Live Conversations with other writer-types.