All About Writing Groups(2): The Awkward Meeting…
“This is awkward. Not you’re awkward, but cause we’re…I’m awkward. You’re gorgeous. Wait, what?” - Anna from Frozen (2013)
Anna’s example in Frozen when she first meets Hans is the perfect example of what you don’t want your first writers group meeting to be like! But what should you do? How do you get your first group meeting started on the right foot? I have come up with a few simple steps to take in order to get your writing group together (and where to go from there!)
Step One: Find a time and place that works for everyone!
This may be meeting once every month or once every week. It’s going to look different for all groups! Always make sure everyone agrees with the timing. Be willing to be flexible as you plan and offer to change the date and time if necessary!
Once you’ve found a time and date that works, you’ll need your place to meet at! This can be as simple as your house, your backyard, or your friend's porch. You can also try local coffee shops, libraries, or even public parks! Whatever is most convenient for your group.
Step Two: Making sure your members show up!
Life can get busy and people can easily forget, so make sure to send out a reminder about the time, location, and whatever your members may need to bring the day before your meeting! For example, since this is a writers group, tell them to bring a laptop or notebook and be ready to have lots of fun and learn! Perhaps consider offering snacks to share! Nothing like the temptation of a cookie to lure a nervous writer to come out of their home.
Step Three: Prepping!
You want to have all your things ready to go for the big day of your first meeting! Once you have all your things you won’t need to worry about what you’re going to be talking about and you’ll find yourself more relaxed when the time comes.
Here’s a quick outline of some things you may want to prepare!
A game.
There is nothing like a game with a writer's twists to get your group talking, laughing, and enjoying their time with each other!
A lesson.
Being part of a writers group usually means you want to engage with other writers and learn more about writing! As the founder of your group it is going to be your job to first set up a good example. You can choose a simple topic that you know about – or want to learn about – in the writing world and then come up with a short lesson to present to your friends and practice with! (Feel free – and I even suggest – asking your fellow members what they want to learn about, what they might be struggling with, and if they have any ideas. Then keep a list for the future!
A writing time.
You’re going to want to be prepared for this! Near the end of your meeting try to block out around twenty minutes for everyone to sit down with their current story (or provide a prompt for those who don’t have a story yet) and write their next part! Tackling writing around others who are there to keep you accountable, offer encouragement, and urge you on can be a great skill to learn. It may seem awkward at first but it will get easier!
Breakout time!
After the time for writing is up this is a time where everyone can talk about things they got stuck on in their story and other members can help brainstorm ideas. Maybe they need help coming up with names, or plots, or even just simple encouragement to push on. This is the time to share all those things!
Finish on a high note!
Finishing on a positive note is a must for your first group meeting, but what is also important is getting comfortable sharing your writing with your group!
Start small. At the end of the meeting, share your favorite quote from what you just wrote, it doesn’t have to be long and you don’t need to ask for critique or advice. It’s just giving your friends a little peek into your writing story. Over time you may find yourself sharing whole pages of your story and asking for advice!
Feedback.
Finally, at the end of your meeting ask for feedback, how do they think it went? Would they be willing to do it again? What did they like and not like?
Your name.
That seems like an odd step doesn’t it? But every writer group needs a great name! Maybe you can be the great Ink Spillers of Nevada or the amazing Letter Weavers. This is entirely up to your group and ends your first meeting with something fun! Don’t forget to mention you can always change your name later, to keep yourselves mysterious ;)
This is what a layout for a meeting can look like! Now there are so many different ways to run a writing club, and so many things you can do and talk about. But once you’ve had your first meeting you’ll start to get a feel for what your writers need the most and what they can benefit from.
“But wait!” You scream. “What games are we supposed to play? Lesson? I don’t know anything about lessons! I need to know more about these steps!”
That is all about what my next lesson is on! I am going to dive deeper and give you ideas on what games, lessons, and how writing exercises can look! But for now take a deep breath and know that you have your group and you are going to be ready for your first meeting.
With Faith, Hope, Love and Feathers.
Inertia.
