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Authors Write in Community
One of our favorite Writing Communities meets annually at the Chanticleer Authors Conference!
How to Form a Writing Community
No matter where you are in the writing journey, it’s never too late to join a Writing Community or form a Critique Group. We’ve talked to people who have ran book groups at our own local Village Books, those who ran the Skagit Valley Writers League, and those who have gone through graduate-level writing classes to bring you the best tips and tricks for your community needs.
Writing Communities and Critique Groups are often a wonderful and necessary step on the journey to becoming a professional author, not just someone scribbling into the void.
So my Writing Community will fulfill all of my authorly needs?
Commander Tuvok and Ensign Kim of the USS Voyager. Kim is usually wrong.
Probably not. Just like one person can’t fulfill all our needs for friendship, writing communities are diverse and can include your local bookstore to the writing group you found online during quarantine. It isn’t just one thing, but here we’ll talk about how to build one if you notice your needs aren’t getting met as well as they could be.
First, we’ll focus on where to begin, then we’ll dive into actually running a critique group.
Starting your Group
Pick who you want to be in your Writing Community
When putting together a group it can be important to consider both experience and demographic. If you’re hoping to publish by the end of the year, it’s important to work with like-minded people as opposed to writers who are just discovering their voice. Of course, even a writer who is still working through their craft may be an excellent reader, so don’t be afraid to take a chance on someone!
Likewise, while it’s helpful to have a variety of readers, ask yourself who the audience for your book is. Lee Child’s The Killing Floor has a pretty different audience from The City of Glass by Cassandra Clare. The best feedback will come from the people who would be interested in grabbing your work at the bookstore.
If you’re looking for more on connecting with readers, and less on connecting with other writers, check out this article on reader engagement from Kiffer Brown here.
Decisions in a Critique Group
There are plenty of ways to run a writing group, but knowing if it’s open or closed and whether people come prepared to give feedback or if they’re expected to give feedback in the moment is key
For a critique group though, start by asking if it’s going to be a closed or an open group. Even with an open group, it helps to recruit people to join it initially, so you set the tone and hopefully create something that will really serve your needs.
For an open group, you’ll have the great pleasure of extraordinary writers coming into your sphere, though on the other hand, you will also find writers whose work needs desperate help beyond what you can give to the work just being plain offensive. Despite that, the rewards of working in an open group are innumerable, as are the connections that will help expand your circle of influence.
In a closed group you don’t have the same level of variety in the people you work with, but the consistency can make up for that. Of course, if the people you invite in end up feeling hurt, this can negatively affect friendships that have been brought into the group.
Regardless of who you have in a group, it’s worth remembering that writing is a sensitive art, and it does well to treat people kindly, even when giving direct feedback.
When is Feedback done?
Whether or not you choose to do an open or closed group, you also need to pick whether or not work will be read in advanced so feedback can be ready to present at group. The other natural option is that the author will present their work at the group and receive feedback immediately after.
I ran a group for 7 years that sent work in advance, and I found the extra time to comment and think about a book really helped! That said, the maximum word count suggestions and number of members we had meant we critiqued approximately 40,000 words a month! That’s a lot of novels!
In contrast, Janet Oakley, a Chanticleer Overall Grand Prize Winner, is still in a group where the author reads the work aloud and then receives feedback in the moment. That group saves a lot of time and effort by keeping the focus on just what can be shared in the time that they meet. Both have great merits! – David
Regardless of the choice you make, writers will be able to get a huge benefit from however feedback is delivered!
Community is something we make at Chanticleer
Here at Chanticleer we have our usual (or unusual) suspects in terms of people who live near us and are guaranteed to show up at our local events ready to cheer us on.
To facilitate this, we’ve created The Roost, a private online community for serious authors looking for support. Not only does The Roost offer steep discounts on many Chanticleer services, there are weekly write ins, monthly workshops, author promotion projects, NaNoWriMo support, and of course pictures of our beloved pets (always a must).
If you’re interested in joining the Roost, please reach out to AuthorOutreach@ChantiReviews.com
One of Kiffer’s adorable kitty cats
The Roost is a social community where authors can share their expertise and knowledge with fellow writers who take the craft and business of being an author seriously. Make posts and share photos just like any other social media, but better since the community is intentionally curated for writers!
Thank you for joining us for this Writer Toolbox Article
There is so much to learn and do with Chanticleer!
From our Book Award Program that has Discovered the Best Books since the early 2010s to our Editorial Book Reviews recognizing and promoting indie and traditional authors, Chanticleer knows your books are worth the effort to market professionally!
When you’re ready, did you know that Chanticleer offers editorial services? We do and have been doing so since 2011.
Our professional editors are top-notch and are experts in the Chicago Manual of Style. They have and are working for the top publishing houses (TOR, McMillian, Thomas Mercer, Penguin Random House, Simon Schuster, etc.).
If you would like more information, we invite you to email us at info@ChantiReviews.com for more information, testimonials, and fees.
We work with a small number of exclusive clients who want to collaborate with our team of top-editors on an on-going basis. Contact us today!
Chanticleer Editorial Services also offers writing craft sessions and masterclasses. Sign up to find out where, when, and how sessions being held.
A great way to get started is with our manuscript evaluation service, with more information available here.
And we do editorial consultations for $75. Learn more here.
Writer Toolbox Helpful Links:
Creating Shared Content to Engage Readers and Build a Fan Base
The traditional publishing tool that indie authors can use to propel their writing careers to new levels? Check it out here!
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