How to Have a Successful Writer's Group

Imagine a group of literary giants such as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien gathering every Thursday. Who read the unfinished manuscript, Lord of the Rings? What was discussed? Who would dare critique and edit Mr. Lewis' Out of the Silent Planet? What was it like to edit these works? Could anyone of them have predicted the success of these writers?

This cluster of friends, known as the Inklings, also included Charles Williams (All Hallows' Eve) and Owen Barfield who was considered the first of the Inklings. Faithfully the twenty or so friends attended their meetings at a pub called The Eagle and Child. I wonder if all members were present at all gatherings.

The one thing I'm sure of is the fact they thought it important to meet. The classroom, no doubt, was necessary but gathering with others who thought and worked like you was invaluable. Did their story telling improve? One would think so.

Like the Inklings, writers around the world know the value of gathering together. For over 15 years now one such group, the one I belong to, has met faithfully on the first Friday of each month. Its success can best be summed up by one of its members, the poet of the group who said: "We have mutual respect and care for each person and their work. All get full-on encouragement and helpful suggestions."

Our most popular place to assemble was in South Pasadena. Judging from old photographs, the Eagle and Child pub, where the Inklings gathered, was just as cozy as the beautiful four-story Victorian home where our unfinished manuscripts were read and discussed. Hopefully, we come close to the standards of the Inklings in our writing endeavors. Our roster boasts 19 members¯one short of the famous Inklings.

And though we are organized, like Tolkien's group we have not officially selected officers nor do we have a particular agenda. However, most of us have gravitated to a very special lady, Marilyn Woody, children's author of books such as High Chair Devotions, for wisdom and guidance. It is probably wise to have one such as her in your own writers group.

Marilyn is the one who makes sure we actually start the work. After a few minutes of catching up with one another (as we only meet once a month) on personal news as well as writing news, Marilyn will start with a word of prayer. Prayer requests are a vital part of keeping us going. I'm not quite sure how it came to order with the Inklings. Contrary to popular belief, they were not all Christians. The group actually had a few atheists as well as anthroposophists (spiritual science) among them.

In any case, their success and ours, we believe, is because we truly care for one another, celebrate each success, pray over our rejections and are open to learn from one another. In addition, we are a group in all stages of life, in various careers, with different styles and genres of writing. This variety keeps it interesting, brings fresh perspective and forces us to write for a real audience.

I read somewhere once that there should never be food or drink served at a writer's group. We don't abide by that. Personally, I believe that the Inklings ate and drank well during their times together. Our table is usually lavishly decorated with fine china, crystal glasses and lace tablecloths. Pastries, cakes, bread, plump grapes, orange wedges, a few assortments of nuts, fresh brewed coffee and imported tea also grace the writing table.

Nevertheless, manuscripts are read, critiqued and edited. We are constantly learning about our craft and polishing our work to meet industry standards. It is a hard-working group and each member is published in one media or another, though it was not always that way. Quite a few of us joined the group as unpublished writers and were ready to give up. This would be another good argument for gathering with other writers who know your heartache and give you nothing but encouragement¯a priceless commodity.

Lastly, to see how our group functions, here's a peek into the minutes of our meeting. They are penned by Sharon P. who began recording our minutes, in a fun and creative way, to keep our absentee members up-to-date.

In the early hours of Friday morning the sun strained to shine through a low lying cloud. Cars buzzed along the streets with their headlights peering through the mist. The first autumn leaves fluttered to the damp pavement and Sharon's new coffee maker was bubbling. It seems my son (whose morning hair looked much like a gorse bush) spotted the shiny apparatus and-always attracted to new gadgets-decided to make the coffee.

Present: (in order of appearance)

Sharon (Freelance writer and domestic engineer)
Ruth (Poet and "mother" of many)
Jane Rumph(Author and specialist in Extreme Adventures)
Marilyn Woody(Author, counselor, and our fearless critique group President)

Tardy: Brenda (Aspiring author, speaker, and businesswoman)
(Note: Brenda's arrival created quite a ruckus and the conversation had to be put on hold until everyone calmed down.)

Missing:

Colleen (Freelance Writer)
Deanne (Singer/Songwriter)
Debby (Fantasy novelist)
Debbie Wong (Author, Popular Vocalist, Speaker)
Pat Stockett-Johnston (Prolific writer-wins the most articles published award)
Sandra Schoger Foster (famous author)
Yvonne (Biker Babe) Responsible for political briefings
Sharon Norris Elliott (Author, Speaker, Educator)

The morning started off with Sharon sharing that she submitted her Halloween book to Mary McNeil of Cook Publishing this month. Her article, "When God Rode a Dirt Bike" article is presently at Today's Christian Woman Magazine for consideration.

Next we discussed what it takes to self-publish, with Jane explaining what it means to lay-out a book, and defining the term PDF file for us. We also touched on the topic of how to send illustrations to a publisher. From there the topic went to Madonna and what we thought about her. Following--a discussion was launched about whether or not we should judge people. The general consensus was YES.

Ruth gave us some insights on the challenges of being an efficient mom/mother-in-law and staying out of trouble.

Marilyn announced that she is READY TO WRITE, after being off duty for a while. She also is still knee deep in Arleta's (Richardson) manuscripts.

Speaking of the challenge it is (as busy women) to get to our writing, it is good to set small attainable daily goals. For example, just 30 to 45 minutes per day, Sharon was able to submit her Halloween Book to Cook this month by setting small daily goals. One day the goal was only to get the page numbers on the manuscript. Another day was just getting the envelope and self addressed envelope printed. It's amazing how something gradually DOES GET DONE, with just one step at a time. Remember the story-the tortoise and the hare? Be a tortoise and you will get there!

And...Jane's book came out! The one she wrote for Mr. Daughtery (spelling) who shared about God's role in building a Christian school. The book is published by TATE publishing and it looks great. It would have looked better with Jane's name on the front! Congratulations Jane!

We also ate a lot of walnuts and peanuts and everyone caught glimpses of my son, who was packing up his bedroom in boxes and "taking breaks" on the computer. (Last day home 11/5)

We missed you all! Next month we'll be at Marilyn's sister's home in Pasadena. How fun it will be to gather in December for a special Christmas Critique!

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Remember your writer's group will be successful if you care about each other and respect each other's work. Yet, each member should develop a thick skin, so to speak, as fellow writers edit, discuss and polish your masterpiece.