Profwriting

Public humiliation? Ritual torture? Or the opportunity to develop your work using constructive criticism from like-minded individuals? Matt Fox talks writing groups.

The writing group is often viewed merely as an opportunity for hippy dippy space wasters with no writing talent to get together and discover their inner voice. And yet many genuinely talented writers use these groups as a way to place their unfinished material in the public domain for the first time and gain critical feedback.

I myself have experienced the wonder that is the writing group (though it took me a long time to admit it). Every month, I would take my virgin manuscripts along to share with ‘the group’. In an attempt to assess the usefulness of this experience, I contacted a fellow group member – my old school friend and budding writer, Jonathan Bunker. Over a few beers, we discussed the contentious subject of writer’s groups.

So was it worth it, Jonathan, hauling ourselves several miles every month to read out our creative offerings?

‘Well, yeah, I think it was; we got the chance to get honest feedback on our work; a thing that I’m now coming to realise is crucial for any chance of success.’

True; but did you find you valued the opinions of all the group members?

‘Of course not; but I did quickly work out which opinions were of value and which weren’t.’

You also worked out who you definitely didn’t want to like your work didn’t you?

‘That’s certainly true; if they liked it, you knew something was really wrong.’

So, you didn’t find the whole experience a bit like taking all your clothes off in an attempt to convince a bunch of people you hardly knew that you were actually beautiful …I mean did you feel it left you totally exposed, warts and all?

‘Yeah it did, and that was a difficult thing to get to grips with. But after the first few embarrassing, stuttered readings, you actually grow to like it, and realise that the reason you’re writing (at least the reason I’m writing) is to be read by others. If there’s no audience for your work, then there’s no real point in writing.’

But some may argue that you should write for yourself, and not give a rat’s arse what anyone else thinks.

‘Yeah, and those are the people who don’t get published; it’s perfectly OK to write whatever you want as long as you aren’t trying to sell it; as soon as you do that, you really do have to listen to popular opinion.’

Even if that opinion changes the whole point of your work?
‘No…obviously there has to be a cut off point. I’m just saying that taking on board what some of the group said actually improved my writing.’

‘And you wouldn’t have come to these decisions on your own?’

Maybe, maybe not. The point is, I was able to look at my work from a far more critical angle, because that’s what the group had done. Sure, some people’s suggestions were total crap, and they just didn’t get the point of the piece, but many were highly valid and really helped with redrafting.’

So, you’d recommend a writing group?

‘Yes. It may seem terrifying (and if I’m being honest, it is), but you quickly learn to manage this, and actually start enjoying the feedback.’

So there you have it – the writing group may not be for everyone and does initially induce a great deal of anxiety and embarrassment; but once you’ve overcome this and created the appropriate critical distance from your work, the benefits can be astounding. After all, why are you writing, if not to be read?