I found this article and found it too great to pass up sharing with the group, considering we no doubt qualify as one of the mentioned "group therapy" writers groups. The bottom of the article (past the author's details) is a list of online "professional" writers guilds and stuff as well as helpful books and guides. The online guilds did not include URLs so I hunted them up for us, the ones I could find anyway. Thought this article would be a nice break for me and you.
Group Therapy: Finding, forming, joining and participating in writers’ groups
An article by Lois J. Peterson at The Writer's Resource Center http://www.poewar.com/index.html
Many writers, once bitten by the bug, settle down into their self-imposed writing space (both the physical and psychic one), and churn out the words they hear rattling around in their heads. They get them down on paper, love or hate them, rewrite them, refine them, send them out, or chuck them away and start all over.
I envy these writers.
I discovered years ago that I don’t have what it takes to do it alone. I’m too easily distracted, disheartened, discouraged, or bored (and can even manage to be all at once!). I’m too ready to believe that what I write is brilliant, boring, inspired, or pointless (often all in the same piece of work).
I joined my first writer’s group at the invitation of students in a class I was teaching. A couple of weeks later I met them at their usual corner table in the local restaurant, and I’ve been a regular participant ever since.
Once a month we bring out our recent work, brag about our successes, and gripe when things aren’t going so well. We do a little reading, a lot of laughing, and always come away heartened and encouraged. We operate as a cheering section as much as a critique group. Some of us circulate copies of the work under discussion, but most of us read aloud, and then sit back, waiting for a response. The stuff we brush off and show to our peers includes poetry, novel excerpts, poetry, and essays. This group has become one in which good friends share a common interest, and in the process buoy up each other’s efforts and spirits.
In another group, four of us get together once a month to share and discuss short fiction. We distribute work in advance through e-mail, and to each meeting bring critiques that are expressed using a grid of marks and comments relating to the various craft elements. We debate differences in critiques, explore and analyze similar responses, make suggestions for changes, and recommend markets. Before we part, we determine what story we’ll each distribute before our next meeting, and set marketing goals for the coming month.
For a almost year I’ve been working with an online critique group which is as objective, focused and motivating as they come. Here we talk text, text, text, referring any comments and responses to posted work back to the piece of writing as a way of separating personal taste from objective craft criticism. Here, too, we keep track of submissions, hits and misses, and share marketing and contest information.
For each writer there’s probably an ideal critique group somewhere, but it sometimes takes some detective work to track down the one that works for you.
Some in-person groups limit membership to those working in a specific genre--which can be helpful in ensuring that all discussion relates to everyone’s endeavors--while others are open to all forms and genres of writing. Some aim for weekly meetings; others convene just once a month. On-line groups offer anonymity which can lead to greater objectivity if moderated by a skillful group leader, but they’re not necessarily for those who like to know what credentials a critquer brings to the task and who prefer to develop a personal relationship with them. All groups offer something important to their members, if and when the fit works, whether it’s specific critical feedback, or general support and encouragement. Or both.
If you’re not already a member of a group, before you form or join one you might want to consider the following questions:
Are you ready, willing and able to give and take detailed editorial feedback?
Would you prefer to join others simply for mutual support and encouragement, where the process is as important as the product?
Are you happy with verbal responses to work read aloud or distributed at the meeting, or would you prefer written input on previously distributed writing?
Do you have time, energy, and commitment for weekly meetings, or does your schedule only allow monthly or bi-monthly ones?
Are you comfortable meeting in someone’s home, or would you prefer to congregate in a public place (restaurant, library meeting room)?
Do you need an appointed leader at each meeting, or are you happy with a democratic system of sharing time in the limelight, with no rules to govern what goes on?
Would the flexibly of online critiquing work best for your schedule and working style?
Do you need to join a group, or would be happy with just one writing buddy with whom to share your work, your trials and your triumphs?
There are no ‘right’ answers. The kind of focus offered by one critique group might not be as useful to you as that offered by another. But if you can determine the level of critiquing, and the type of interaction that suit you and your working style, needs, and expectations, you’ll have a better chance of finding or forming a group that’s a good fit for everyone.
Jon Volkmer’s book, Fiction Workshop Companion, includes an especially useful chapter entitled ‘Creating An Effective Workshop’ which can help writing groups develop protocols for critiquing. Regardless of how you develop them, the entire group will benefit from discussing various processes for evaluating work, rather than simply critiquing work with no stated focus.
A good place to make contact with other writers is at writing classes, conferences, through local arts or writing publications, and, in the case of online critique groups, by searching for them through a major search engine, using the words ‘online critique groups’, or through links from the larger writing sites. And don’t rule out word of mouth which often leads to one writing buddy who can lead you to others.
You don’t need to jump in with both feet. Set up a preliminary meeting to discuss what you need and have to offer, and to consider the practicalities of scheduling, critiquing process and protocols. Share information about the genres you prefer to write and read, and any subjects that you prefer to avoid (sexuality, violence, etc.).
If you’re invited to join an existing group, both sides need a period in which to determine how well the fit works for everyone. Listen carefully to the level of critiquing, and to get an idea of how participants give and take feedback. Decide if the forms and genres of writing under discussion will provide new insights into your own work. Determine if these are people you want to share your work and your time with. If you’re thinking of joining a on-line group, lurk for a while to get a sense of the tone and content of critiques before you commit your own work and opinions.
Membership in one writing group does not mean a lifetime commitment. You may well reach a point when you’ve learned all you can and have given as much as you have to share, and now need to move on to find other ways to advance your skills.
While some writers do just fine tapping away at their computers for hours on end in their self-imposed creative exile, others need companionship and motivation of others involved in the craft. These writers will probably find that their writing skills and their discipline improves with a little group therapy.
It surely can’t hurt!
Lois J. Peterson’s short stories have won awards and been published in Canada, the US, and the United Kingdom. She coordinates the Surrey Creative Writing Diploma Program in British Columbia, and leads a Moderated Critique Group for writers of short prose.
Online Groups:
6' Ferret Writers' Group Home Page - http://www.6ftferrets.com/
Austin Axis - http://www.awpi.com/AustinAxis/
(this one confuses me, the only thing I can think of is its also a web publisher)
Calgary Writers Association - http://writtenword.org/cwa/
Calgary Women's Writing Project - http://writtenword.org/cwwp/
California Writers' Club - http://www.calwriters.com/Welcome.html
Cambio Writer's Forum - http://www.cambio.net/forum.html
Cambridge Writers - http://homepages.tesco.net/~magdtp/cambridgewriters.html
Federation of BC Writers - http://bcwriters.com/
Knoxville Writers' Guild - http://www.knoxvillewritersguild.org/
Log Cabin Literary Center - Idaho - http://www.logcablit.org/
Northwest Writers' Groups and Writing Events - (could not find though there are a lot of hits for Northwest and Writing there)
San Francisco Bay Area Writers' Groups:
Stockport and District Writers' Circle - http://www.swcircle.freeserve.co.uk/
Winnipeg Senior Citizens Writers' Workshop - http://www.crm.mb.ca/crm/sw/index2.html
Writers Cramp - http://www.forwriters.com/writerscramp.html
(Seattle, Washington)
Writers Ring - not sure what she was talking about here, got lots of writers webrings and stuff but nothing specifically by this name
The Writers Room - http://www.writersroom.org/
(NYC)
Books:
Fiction Workshop Companion by Jon Volkmer
Although designed for use in fiction workshops, this book offers information that's extremely useful to critique groups, and well as invaluable craft tools for fiction writers.
A Community of Words : A Directory of Literary Readings and Workshops in California by Poets & Writers Inc.
A great guide to workshops, retreats and open-mike readings in the state of California. Find out where to go and who to contact.