Do you have any fears about joining a writing group? Don’t worry because you are not the only one. Most people think that letting others evaluate their work or giving constructive criticism to someone else’s story is not helpful in developing their craft.
However, that’s not true. By meeting with other wordsmiths, you can find great inspiration and ideas for your next work. This post will provide a list of reasons why joining a writing group is beneficial for you as a writer.
1. Writers always need feedback. A different process in writing is seeing clearly what you have written. Oftentimes, we believe that is our best piece so far when, in fact, it is far from being polished. Having a trusted audience to read your work will help you correct bad writing habits and develop your skills.
2. You can meet other people with the same interests. If you meet other people who have the same writing style or work in the same genre, you will be more interested in what you are doing. Together, you can give each other tips and tricks on how to improve your craft. The group can also do other things like talk about their favorite authors and share book recommendations from their favorite genres.
3. You will be more disciplined. Most writing groups have a weekly goal wherein they have to produce an output with a particular word count and style. In addition, they also have to create a well-written and constructive critique every time they meet. Through this exercise, neophyte authors can develop a healthy writing habit. Since they are evaluating other people’s work, they can analyze the mechanics of a story and learn the good and bad traits of each piece.
4 You will become tough. As mentioned earlier, criticisms that you will get can sometimes be harsh. However, you will learn that the scars you received are nothing compared to the anguish that you will experience when agents and publishers reject your first novel.
Writing groups are like boot camps for writers. Here, you will have a glimpse of how tough the competition will be. Writing groups are actually nicer because they provide you with constructive suggestions on how to refine your work.
5. They provide extra dosages of moral support. Although support from family and close friends is still effective in boosting one’s determination and ego, it is also important that you get support from other writers. These people know exactly what you are going through as a wordsmith. Because of that, you will get more sound advice and they can support you in many ways that non-writers cannot.
To wrap things up
Receiving criticism is always painful, especially if you have poured a lot of time and effort into your work. However, we cannot identify our weaknesses in our own work. Sometimes, we just have to let other people evaluate our piece in order for it to be polished.
In addition, being part of a writing group is not just about criticizing each other’s stories. It is also a fun hub to meet wordsmiths who are passionate about their work. It’s a great place to discover new literary trends and explore your hidden talents.
