Patricia Harrelson

Last time, I wrote about the challenges of maintaining a committed writers group.  I promised that in the next post I would list the guidelines that have proven effective in my writers groups. Here they are:

• We agree to get our pieces to one another at least two days in advance of meetings

• Our protocol for responding to pieces is as follows

• Readers come to group having read each piece in advance and prepared written commentary to offer the writer to supplement verbal critique.
• Readers discuss each piece for a predetermined amount of time while the writer listens and takes notes after which the writer is invited to participate.
• Readers discuss the piece saying the writer or the narrator or the writer’s name, but not using the pronoun you.
• Responses begin with what is working in the piece, specific places where language is exciting or full of energy, images that are sparkling, writing that is fluid, etc. Sufficient time should be given to discussing the merits of the piece before turning to critique.
• When pointing to places that don’t work well in a reader’s opinion, the reader is as specific as possible. We offer suggestions with the clear understanding that the writer ultimately decides what will work in her piece.
• Writers listen carefully to the opinion of others, recognizing that this is simply one opinion in many and that others, including the writer, may view the work differently. Writers take what is useful and leave the rest.
• Writers needn’t defend content, style, or word choice. Critique is simply meant to give one reader’s response. The impulse to defend comes from protectiveness around our work but can also be a signal that something deeper needs to be communicated on the page.

• We put writing first. We are not an emotional support group. Our discussions come from a writerly perspective. We agree that if a conflict among members arises it will be managed with honest self-examination and one-to-one communication as the first option and a separate full group business meeting as a last resort.

• A full group business meeting will be called separate from our regularly scheduled meetings to make major changes in our guidelines. Temporary or minor changes can be discussed at the close of each regular meeting.

• We agree to keep our criticism fresh, focused, honest, and generous. We all wish to grow as writers.

• We will have quarterly retreats that will particularly focus on exploring craft and technique as well as developing the level and perceptiveness of our critique.

Please let me know what you think of these guidelines or if you have additions, questions, or other considerations when it comes to developing a protocol for a writers group.