Writing group notes from Lana Pesch, DECEMBER 8th 2016 (last revision)
Keys to success:
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Commitment
Follow a structure
Have a leader / organizer to keep track of the schedule
There are plenty of resources and tips online if you google “how to start a writing group” and
below I’ve outlined some things that have worked for me, and evolved along the way.
Please get in touch with any questions.
Cut and paste as you wish.
Good luck!
GROUP ONE – Cinnamon Karma
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Started Sept 2011
Began with four writers at similar stages looking for feedback. Two were writers I met
through classes I took with Sarah and one was from a workshop I took in Banff
Cinnamon Karma because at one meeting we all arrived at someone’s house and she’d
been baking Christmas cookies and making tea and the place smelled like cinnamon
and the name just happened!
Has since dropped one of the original members (but still has three originals!) and added
two new writers--people who knew people who they thought were like-minded and it’s
worked out
Arranged to meeting in person on a weeknight evening, 7:00 – 9:30 pm every five to six
weeks
Since everyone is in Toronto so we take turns hosting, provide tea and light snacks
Review (used Sarah’s guide) one or two stories per meeting
Submissions are due a week (3500 word approx. max) before the meeting so the others
have time to review, make notes, type up review if they want, print story and give it back
to the author with notes marked up in pencil
If someone has a longer piece - i.e. 40 - 75 pages we do less of a detailed
critique/review; more notes on tone, overall concept, characters, plot.
Start each meeting with a “how are you doing with writing” chat
Do one or two writing exercises, usually prompts, freewrites in notebook, some Natalie
Goldberg exercises
Then a half hour round table discussion/critique on the stories submitted, one at a time,
author remains silent during this time but can ask questions/clarifications at the end
End with any questions, comments, set next date
November 2014 UPDATE:
Based on another friend’s recommendation, who has been in a writing group of
established writers in Vancouver who have been meeting for over ten years, we opted to
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amend our format. We do most of what she mentions below, wine, reading out loud, not
submitting anything prior to the meeting. It’s a different approach, a fresher way to get
immediate feedback, and reading practice. I took a leave during The Story Intensive 2014
so they had two meetings without me. Sometimes only one person has something to read.
Often they are not 30 minute readings, they range anywhere from 5 – 25 minutes. One
member is more of a poet.
My friend’s group’s structure/comments:
“- everyone gets half an hour for reading/comments and we try to do three a night
- sometimes someone just brings a craft problem they want to discuss in relation to a
particular piece
- we try to say what kind of feedback we are looking for first, in order to avoid the
weird "I don't get it" stuff... like, "I'm trying to do this (establish place or whatever), and
I'm wondering what's working and what is not
- we do drink wine and have snacks so it's social too... so 7:30 - 8 is wine and chatter,
then three half hour readings (with a break after the second one or in between if there
are only two)
- then we do goals. One person keeps a book, we review the previous goals, did we
meet them, and make a new goal
- we also make goals at the beginning of the year, and those are really fun to review
because we always set huge goals and rarely achieve them
- we have a private Facebook group so we can message each other and hit each other
with writing links, and confirm where the next meeting is, and who is attending
- we have eight people, which is a bit big, but that's helpful because often people can't
make it, so we average 5 or 6
- we meet every other week, and it has to be in someone's house -- we tried cafes and
it's just too public
- the meeting usually goes to 11, or even 11:30
- we also celebrate birthdays and have champagne for every big and little publication
win, so those aspects are really wonderful for feeling like we take care of each other
- no one wants to add anyone, because the balance is just so important and our
emotional writing egos can be so fragile
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- sometimes it gets too social and we have to have a correction, we crack down and so
on.
- we've been going for quite a few years and it's been a real anchor for all of us.
People have left for up to a year and come back...
- some people are also in other groups, and sometimes a few of us will splinter off to
have a meeting about, say, outlining. We also share information about workshops and
seminars, and go to those together if we're interested.”
DECEMBER 2016 UPDATE:
The reading out loud format lasted for about a year and then group fizzled out.
Below I have cut and pasted is the note I sent on January 3rd, 2016 to all members past
and present. There are four of us (two x original members; two x one year members)
currently committed to the “Three month” at a time plan. It’s working very well and
we’re heading into 2017 with positive energy.
---ORIGINAL MESSAGE--A Happy New Year greeting to all!
Give that we're into a new year, with some new writers in the mix, plus the fact
that the Cinnamon Karma writing group has been meeting fairly infrequently with
repeatedly low attendance of no one's fault other than life issues and obstacles
that continue to present and evolve...please find a suggested proposal for 2016.
Move forward on a three month basis as a time.
Meet the last Friday of every month, (7:30 - 10:00pm), with wine/tea & snacks
Format: round table check in/announcements/goals, do a 10 min writing exercise,
critique two stories that are submitted a week prior to the meeting, 3500 words
max.
"TSI critique" doc attached for reference, from Sarah Selecky's Story Is a State of
Mind, The Story Intensive course which is the format followed for the critique.
Authors are silent while others critique the piece, and are allowed to ask
questions/clarifications at the end.
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Submissions can be short story, essay, chapter of a novel, poetry, whatever.
Cinnamon Karma originally worked like this and I think the revamp (and
deadlines) might be the boost needed to kickstart 2016. I'm excited about this and
hope you might be too.
Personally, this is what I could use with where I'm currently at with my writing:
working on the novel and revising a few short stories.
I obviously can't speak for anyone. Putting it out there to see the response.
If you are able to commit, please do, and sign up below.
If you are not able to commit, a simple reply saying so is appreciated. No
apologies necessary.
Commitment and participation is key to maintaining the group.
Please be mindful of your own time and limitations, and respectful of the work that
goes into others providing feedback.
Friday, January 29th - Lana's place: #218-2495 Dundas Street West
submissions due January 22nd from: Lana & _________
Friday, February 26th - LOCALE TBC
submission due February 19th from: __________ & _________
Friday, March 25th, LOCALE TBC
submissions due March 18th from: _________ & _________
GROUP TWO – Molly Bloomers – online writing group
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I formed this group (now defunct) after taking a Creative Writing Class at the University
of Toronto in 2012
I emailed three people in the class whose work I liked and whose feedback I
appreciated.
Molly Bloomers because Molly Bloom’s was the name of the pub where we had a drink
after our last class
The group was structured after another group that one of the Molly Bloomers was
already involved with.
The other group’s online structure:
- Two people submit one piece of writing each, the last day of every second month.
- Feedback follows in one email chain per story; replying all, so people can agree,
disagree, etc. with what has already been said
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- Word count limit: 3500ish, or less
The fact that's it's all online makes things easier as most people lead busy lives and have
other commitments
We planned on meeting in person on special occasions, like when someone gets
published, for example, but it never happened
Sample schedule:
April 30 - Adam; Lana
May 31 - Jasmine; Nicole
June 30 - Adam; Lana
July 31 - Jasmine; Nicole
August 31 - Adam; Lana
Sept 30 - Jasmine; Nicole
Oct 31- Adam; Lana
Nov 30 - Jasmine; Nicole
Dec 31 - Adam; Lana
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One writer dropped out in September and we got a replacement ---a guy I knew
who wanted to be in a group
This group lasted about a year
We collectively agreed on a hiatus and the group never started up again
I’m still in touch with one of the writers whose name I see popping up in
publications and contests
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