Tips for running a writers' circle

All you new writers out there have to read Robert Wood's five tips for running a writers' circle - evergreen advice!

I was a member of an online group last year. We had all taken part in the same online writing course, and those of us who had already started with our novels formed a group. In the beginning, we bounced ideas off each other - particularly regarding what we had covered in our course - and then went on to sharing our writing. We chatted, we laughed, we poked fun at each other (and others!). But individuals started drifting as we all reached different points in our books. One of our members self-published within six months, another couple dropped out entirely with no warning, some starting taking the group far too seriously, and the rest of us soldiered on but less enthusiastically. We stopped and started during run-up to the end-of-year holiday, which then led to the collapse of the group entirely. Fortunately, I had bonded with two of our members, and we still meet up online weekly. But I miss the days when all 10 of us threw around ideas and thoughts and chapters.

I'm going to take Robert Wood's tips to my little group, and see if we can reconnect with some of the others. I particularly like his tip 'Watch the timer, not the clock', as there were certainly some members whose work dominated the group. Not for selfish reasons, but because they were more on top of things and always had something to offer up for discussion. I think putting a time limit on a discussion would certainly encourage every one of us to join in with their own work.

We never had someone in charge of the group. Another of Robert's tips - 'Elect a chair' - speaks to this. I particularly enjoy the idea of rotating this position - a simple way of ensuring that everyone has a say and everyone feels part of the group.

I think that formalizing aspects of our group will let us have fun again, the way we did when we first started it. I like to think that the group that plays together, stays together!

You can read all his tips here: http://beyondthemargins.com/2014/04/5-tips-for-running-a-writers-circle/ and find out more about Robert Wood here: https://www.standoutbooks.com/