Writing groups are essential if you are a writer. I am a member of quite a few in my area. It is not easy bringing forth a piece of your writing to any group as they dissect what you present to them. A main theme from most of my group is simple. The comments are just that, comments. You can take them, use part of them or use none at all. This is your story bottom line and only you can decide what comments will work for you.

Easier said then done. Any comment that is not in line with how you see your story can be hard to hear. You have to decide with a clear mind what works for you. When I submit I will wait two to three days before I look at the comments. If I look sooner I tend to get upset from what has been written. Giving it a few days gives me a clearer mind on what I want to keep or ignore.

For the group that I formed I have requested the ladies to not use the color red when they critique my works. Something about red brings me back to school and the memories that come with it.

But without writing groups to help you see your story from an unbias viewpoint is something I couldn’t do without. Would my first book have been picked up if I had not sent it through my writers group? I am not sure.

We have to have tough skins. Being a writer is not easy, it comes with a lot of ups and down. We are placing our work for the world to see. Not everyone is going to love it but I have a better chance of people liking it if I run it through my groups. They see our books in ways we don’t see it. They could see it in the ways that potential buyers would see it. And that alone is why I will continue to attend the meetings.

If you are not involved in a writing group, I strongly suggest you look into it