Every writer has a different process. Some work solo, some seek the solace of others. But whether you’re a lone wolf or in need of a creative companion for inspiration, a writing group can be a huge comfort, whether it’s online or in person—and it can also be a bit of fun. Perhaps even the most solitary of scribes may be surprised to discover a fresh perspective when connecting with such a community. But how do you begin?
Award-winning author and The Novelry writing coach Mahsuda Snaith talks about writing tribes, which led her to run a series of successful writing communities.
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“Anyone can write a novel.”
As a published writer, I get asked a lot if I think this old adage is true. The question usually comes from budding writers or people sceptical of the concept (and, sometimes, both).
After many years of working as a writing coach at The Novelry, this is what I’ve concluded: anyone can start writing a novel, but it takes a certain kind of person to finish. What kind of person? A person with passion, focus, tenacity, a love of reading, and the ability to take on and apply feedback. I have a feeling that, if you’re reading this blog, you already have the first three elements. But for the last one, you’ll most certainly need outside help.
This can take the form of reading fiction, books on the writing craft, and internet searches, but by far the most efficient method I’ve seen is to find a writing community.
Taking the first step toward a writing group
For many years, I wrote alone. In fact, I kept my writing secret. As a child, I’d scribble away in old school books, hoping none of my siblings would storm through the bedroom door, asking what I was doing (if they did, I’d tell them “homework,” because no one is interested in other people’s homework).
Where is your writing group?
I didn’t grow up around passionate readers, nor did I discover other peers at school. No one I knew was interested in writing or knew what you needed to do to become an author. So, my secret writing process continued through my teenage years and early adulthood as I read all the books and did all the internet searches. I wrote with tenacity and passion. But this only got me so far. I needed like-minded people. I needed a community.
Being able to come to a place where it’s taken as given that stories are important and stories are worth your time is like... Well, it’s like walking into a room I didn’t know I had in my house (and it’s well decorated; I cannot decorate) and finding oh, that’s where I left the other part of my soul/personality/being. A community lets you be a different part of you.
—Laura Callis, member of The Novelry
Researching writing groups
For me, finding my community needed baby steps. First, I showed my partner my writing (he said it was “good”; I asked what “good” meant; he immediately froze up, and I never asked him for feedback again). Then I joined a six-week writing course with a small writing group and began sharing my work.
Through this course, I learned about a local writing group with a far larger cohort. The first time I read out my writing in this group, the lectern I was holding onto for dear life began shaking. It was a terrifying, but also enlightening experience. When I got honest feedback from the group, it felt incredibly rewarding and motivating. I wasn’t a secret writer anymore. I was part of the writing world.
Writing can be a lonely business. I love the Novelry Live space because it connects me with other writers and makes me feel like I have coworkers.
—Renee Kircher, member of The Novelry
Seeking the wisdom of other writers
But feedback is not just about receiving advice on your prose. It can come in the form of a critique of your novel idea, on the approaches that aren’t working for you, and whether you are planning achievable goals.
In our online community, The Novelry Live, we have rooms to cater for all these aspects. Places to ask questions, to share ideas and achievements, and also live sessions such as the “Golden Hour,” where we write quietly, side by side. Then there’s our Story Clinics, where writers come and discuss any issues (or wins) they’re having with their writing and share writing samples. These experiences all help our members stay grounded in their practice and help progress while managing feedback.
The Live community is so valuable to me. I learn so much from other members, editors and coaches, but most importantly it grounds me. Some days I feel lost or questioning. When I come here and see I am not alone, this gives me strength.
—Chris Thompson, member of The Novelry
Seeking feedback from writing group members
On top of everything else, a successful group can help with a vital element needed to finish a novel: accountability. One of the biggest motivations writers give us for joining The Novelry is the desire for some tough love. They’ve tinkered away at various ideas for years, but they’ve never reached THE END. In fact, the importance of accountability became so apparent to us at The Novelry, we created an “Accountability Group” in our online community where our writers post about their aims for the week.
This has helped our members show up to their work in a way they didn’t think they were capable of.
Posting on The Novelry’s accountability group makes me show up so that I actually write. There are a million other things that could easily take over—work, colleagues, parenting, spouse-ing, exercise, chores, all the things I think I should do... Part of it is that there is a set time to do something, but part of it also is doing something with others feels good.
—Laura Callis, member of The Novelry
Accountability group is like wedding vows. You stand up in the virtual town hall and you promise to commit yourself to your novel, to not cheat on it, to nurse it through writer’s block—and you make that vow every week!
—Kern Roberts, member of The Novelry
A like-minded, supportive community can truly help connect writers and help them feel less alone.
This community has given me the motivation to set goals, but also permission to forgive myself when life gets in the way (which it often does).
—Miraf Saraf, member of The Novelry
Forming your own writing network
During the pandemic, I posted online asking if anyone wanted to get together on Zoom to chat about writing. I had over 40 people contact me (the majority of whom I’d never met) and had to devise a series of small-group sessions so everyone had space and time to talk about what they were going through. These meetings led me to form a smaller group that I still meet on Zoom every week to this day. These weekly meet-ups mean that we don’t just get to know each other’s writing—we get to know each other’s journeys too, with all their inevitable ups and downs.
I’m grateful to my writing buddy who (despite living halfway around the world) has been by my side throughout as we support each other along this incredible writing journey.
—Carol Williams, member of The Novelry
The comfort of finding fellow writer friends
Joining the Golden Hour workshop has helped me stay dedicated to my own writing, and using my own experiences to reassure writers who post about their pitfalls helps remind me (and hopefully others) that none of us is immune to these moments.
There are inevitable slumps writers reach at certain points in their novels, and knowing that other people (even published authors!) have gone through—and are going through—the same slumps is incredibly reassuring.
Being part of a writing group and feeling comfortable sharing your own work helps you realize that these ups and downs are part of the journey of writing a novel.
Don’t feel you have to do that journey alone.
How to find your online writing group
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So, if you think a writing group is for you, how can you find yours? I started by searching for local writing courses, then moved on to a local writers’ group. Do an online search and see what’s close to you. If you don’t have a local group, you can start one yourself by using community pages on sites like Facebook to ask if anyone interested in creative writing would like to meet up in a local space.
Social networks
Microblogging social networks like Threads and Bluesky also have large writing communities: try searching for #WritingCommunity or explore BookSky to discover fellow scribes.
Workshops
If face-to-face doesn’t work for you, you can try joining an online writers’ group or workshop. I realize this is scary for a lot of writers who err on the side of introverted (including me), so don’t feel like you have to dedicate yourself permanently to these group members. The important thing is to try out a session and see if it’s for you.
Online communities
For me, joining a writing group and creating my own both lifted me as a writer and as a human being. And, even though I’m a writing coach rather than a member of The Novelry, I’ve found being part of this community has also been hugely rewarding.
The Novelry community is a place where I can ask any question without feeling dense or naive, because chances are, four or five people have dealt with the same thing and will respond... I love that expert coaches and editors so frequently chime in to give advice. I might have given up long ago without this terrific source of fellowship and support!
—Wendy Besmann, member of The Novelry
The Novelry
When you join The Novelry on a course with membership, you gain access to our private members’ community, as well as a full program of online writing workshops and events. These are offered live online, available across all time zones and recorded for you to catch up on if you should miss one.
This is in addition to your course materials, featuring lessons from a Booker Prize-listed author; one-on-one coaching from bestselling and award-winning authors; and editorial support on your manuscript from our team of publishing editors, all with Big Five publishing house experience. We run regular challenge groups for extra motivation and support across our courses, to help you go from big idea to The End.
Writing is a solo pursuit, but that doesn’t mean it has to be lonely.
Join us! You’ll receive a very warm welcome.
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