The Beauty of Writers Groups

Last night's writers group meeting brought with it the revelation that so many of us writers shy away from stories buried deep inside our hearts, because we made the mistake of pitching it to a friend or family member who yawned, rolled their eyes or made a face, saying it wasn't marketable. As a sensitive writer, it is sometimes hard to evaluate this kind of rejection--it could be that our pitch was off, that we didn't relay the story in a way that matched what is in our mind, or that the story hasn't been adequately "fleshed out." Or maybe that special someone doesn't like romance, regardless of how well written, and you adore romance stories and can only imagine yourself writing romance. When faced with rejection, no matter how slight, do we give up on our passion stories, or do we follow our heart and see it through, all the way to THE END on the last page?

One of the beauties of a writers group is to test your creative direction and see if it resonates with other writers, especially those who are like-minded. I've been in groups where there was a spirit of hostility present, which destroys everyone's confidence. But now I am in a group where we are all supportive and kind, yet loving enough to give suggestions for clarity and improvement of plot, story, and character development. And most importantly, it is a safe place to pitch that special story and see if it truly has legs. With love, respect, and confidentiality, writers can encourage each other, hold each other accountable, and help birth a best seller. I am reminded of CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien who were in a writers group in Oxford, England, that met in a local pub. Wouldn't it have been great to be a fly on the wall and hear their comments and suggestions?

Pray that God bring like-minded writers in your path (like Lewis and Tolkien) who will build you up, encourage you, and motivate you to live out the dream the Lord has planned for your life. The hard work of writing is done alone in front of a laptop or legal pad, but the ideas, stories, and characters can come from productive, healthy writers groups where the collective talent of other writers helps bring a hidden story into the hands of millions of readers.