Even writers who spend hours in isolation writing down their thoughts need to connect with other people. This is where writing groups come in, where like-minded fellows can provide support to one another. For beginner writers, this is a great step to start their writing journey. Meeting seasoned writers can guide them in their writing and publishing journey.

Sure, your family and friends can offer you support, but fellow writers are more likely to understand the challenges you’re going through as you are all taking a step toward common ground. Fellow writers can provide you with insights to help make your difficult writing days more manageable.

But you need to take some precautionary measures before joining a writing group. They are now easy to find especially online, and they are not created equal. Writing groups that are incompetently organized are destructive rather than beneficial. At times, they can cause you to lose your identity as a writer.

The main purpose of a writing group is to provide support to one another. This doesn’t mean that the group should serve as a hub for reinforcing one another’s ego where writers come to uplift themselves by hearing compliments and admiration for their work. If you do not have the credentials or foundation to back up the admiration you earn from other members, you could develop a false sense of self-worth as a writer.

On the other hand, a writing group should not be composed of mad-dog critics so that the gathering serves as a venue for creative and psychological confrontations. Every member becomes an unabashed shrink providing analysis on the work and personality of his fellow writers—a damaging scenario where critiquing can become personal and does not help members seeking ways for improvement. It is the writer’s work that matters. Excessive critical analysis can be draining and benefits no one.

Another thing to remember is that a writing group is not a confessional booth or a psychologist’s office where you come to pour out all your grief and disappointments. This does not make your writing group therapeutic if all of you share your common woes with one another and cultivate the belief that you all have talent but are not getting any breaks. Writing groups are created so that you can learn from one another and discuss effective ways of dealing with the challenges that writers face.

As a final reminder, avoid writing to earn the approval of your fellow writers. Many beginners fall into this trap. When you become familiar with the tastes and preferences of your fellow writers, you will be tempted to write in a way that pleases some of the members of your group. Remember that old adage that you cannot please everybody? If you attempt to solicit some of your members’ approval, you lose your identity as a writer when you try to conform to their standards.

Develop a critical mindset before joining a writing group. Consider the members’ level of experience before adopting their critiques. If a group is organized by a professional writer who has been nationally published, make sure that he views your work according to your vision and not his. You join a writing group to cultivate your vision and talent, to begin with.