How to form a Local Writers Group

Writing is a solitary profession, and at some point of your time you may wish to get a guidance to go forward, or you might become totally uninterested in continuing your writing.

What can you do? Joining a writers group is the answer.

Why join a group? If you are a member of a committed writing group with like-minded people, you will be greatly benefited. Each member can be benefited from such a group. The members can share their work and insight with the rest of the group, and inspire each other to continue writing.

You can find many writers groups online and join the ones you like. But, there is nothing like meeting and discussing face to face, if you can.

Where to find a local writers group? There will be many others like you looking for such a group in your own city. But how do you find them? If you can't find one you can form a group of your own. But how?

• Ask yourself whether you are ready to take the initiative to form such a group. If your answer is yes, write down your purpose of forming such a group.
• Spread a word among your friends and relatives about your proposed plan. They may have writer friends among their circle of friends who would be glad to join you. In fact,they too must be longing to be a part of such a group.
• Also, place an ad in your local newspaper. Those who are looking for such a group will eagerly respond to you. Perhaps, another writer is located in your next street which you didn't know until you got her response through an ad.
• Contact them over the phone, one by one, and find out their interest and where do they stand in their writing world. It will help you to decide whether they are the writers you are seeking to support one another, as a group.
• Decide about a suitable date and place to meet them all together to discuss of forming a group, and inform them. Those who are enthusiastic about joining such a group will turn up for the first meeting, without fail.
• Prepare a draft of guidelines before attending your first meeting, so that you will have an idea as to what you are going to discuss and achieve in the meeting. Discuss the need of forming a writers platform and the guidelines needed for its proper functioning, which appeals to all.
• Send a confirmation letter to all members by email about the date of next meeting and the venue. Make a phone call if you don't hear from them.
• Write down a set of proper guidelines, clearly indicating the purpose of forming a group, how often the meeting should be held, and where to be held etc, as discussed at the meeting. Distribute a copy to all the members in the next meeting.
• Once a group is formed, each one is committed towards its proper function. There need not be a leader.
• For various reasons, one or few members may leave your group. If you find suitable writers to join your group, fill the vacant membership. But remember to restrict your membership to the decided number only. Otherwise when the number increases it will become difficult to manage effectively.

There are different thoughts about joining the size of a writers group. Some prefer large groups where they expect to get more help from more members. But in my experience, I prefer a smaller group,of writers numbering from 8 to 15 for its efficient functioning. I am a member of such a group, and we meet once a month, at one of the members' house, as decided at the previous meeting. We support, encourage, critique, and motivate each other.

There are other ways too to form a writing group in your area. Please check meetsup.com where you can find many writers group in your city and if you want you too can form one.