I have been a member of several writing groups over the years. When I was younger, say high school and college age, I found all of the writing groups I tried to be very helpful. I reveled in them, thrived in them, and couldn’t wait to go to the next one. As an adult, though, it has been hard to find a writing group that is a good fit. A couple of the groups I tried were geographically challenging. Nowhere near me, and with the added difficulty in one case of having to drive long distances at night. Another group was more about teaching each other beginning writing techniques, which of course is important, but not what I needed at that time. A couple of groups started out well but devolved over time into therapy sessions rather than focusing on writing technique. Therapy is a good thing, but I also want a safe place to discussing writing techniques. Some groups met only during the day, so membership was obviously limited to mostly retirees.

For several years I co-moderated an online writing group. It started with myself, a cousin who is also an author*, and my sister’s hair stylist, who loves to write. Gradually we added a few more people. I liked the format. It was a writing prompt group, and each week we each took a turn at finding or creating a prompt for the rest of the group to respond to. When we first started, we all stuck to that schedule and there was a lot of really varied and interesting writing. But, after a couple of months, interest petered out, people stopped consistently writing responses, and eventually even posting their own prompts. It fizzled out. I tried restarting it twice over the years, with the same end result. While the group was a good fit for me, it didn’t fit well into the lifestyles of the other members of the group. The group – a private page on Facebook called Three Chicks Writing Prompts– still exists, but none of us have posted in a year or so. I would definitely be open to moderating the group again if enough people contacted me with interest in it, but the group needs to be larger for any of us to get consistent and useful feedback. (Also, the group is not limited to women – 3 Chicks just refers to the three of us who started it.)

What I enjoyed most about the online group was that the prompts brought out a different side of me – a very different voice than my usual writing, and I dabbled in short stories and even a longer fiction book. I tried genres and techniques I had never tried before, wrote about things I had never written about. Used voices I didn’t know were in me. I wrote many unusual things, but the thing that struck me was the very dark comedy that I was capable of producing. Some of the prompts unleashed my sarcasm, my sadness, my politics, and the dark side of my worldview. Someday, some of those pieces will form the basis for another book. I very much miss this group.

I created my own in-person writing group, and the first time around, learned that when hosting a group in my home, I need to be very selective about the membership of the group. Not everyone one meets should be welcomed into one’s home. Boundaries are a good thing. So, boundaries were set, and we started again.

I love the “Shut Up and Write” model our group is based on: Write silently for 45 minutes, take a 15-minute break for conversation, write another 45 minutes, and so on. Each of these intervals is called a pomodoro. (Some groups use a pomodoro of 25-5) An Official “Shut Up and Write” session does not include read-alouds, critiques, or feedback. This is where our unofficial group diverges. For our individual purposes, we each want feedback and critiques, and so at the end of our sessions (usually two pomodoros in length), we include time for reading to each other and constructively commenting on each others’ work. We usually meet once a week. We used to vary the day according to our various upcoming schedules, which worked well. Now, we are trying out having a set time for our meetings. So far, that doesn’t seem to work as well for us.

It’s important to me to be part of a writers’ group. I mean, if the Inklings needed a support system, how much more do I?! I appreciate having the honest, thoughtful, and gentle critique of others who are invested in my success as a writer, and I in theirs. There is no animosity, no toxicity, no competition, just companionship and support and a lot of mutual respect.

If you are looking for a writing group with a similar vibe, either my in-person group or my online group, please reach out. We just might be the right fit for you. In any case, if you try a group and it isn’t the best fit for you, try another. If you keep trying and can’t find a good fit, create your own. Before you do, set up your rules for critiquing and establish firm boundaries. Then watch your writing flow!

Happy Writing!

Tessa

* The cousin I mention above, who is also a writer, is Dawn Marifield. Dawn has several books out, and they are available on Amazon, or through Draft2Digital at Dawn Marifield Books.

Happy Writing!

©Tessa Chenoa 2026

*Cover image generated by ChatGPT