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Creative writing

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Online writing groups / feedback

2 replies

Bucolicky · 24/06/2020 16:07

Hi all

Does anyone know of any decent online writing groups? I've spent quite a lot of lockdown tinkering and toying with writing fiction - a long-held dream - but procrastination/fear of failure/looming deadline of eventual return to work post-lockdown are all stopping me before I'm started. I've thought about courses, but realised that they're not what I'm looking for. What I really need is accountability and feedback in order to make me get on with it. I hope that makes sense! Does anyone have any recommendations?
Thank you!

OP posts:
themental · 24/06/2020 17:50

Hey.

So it sounds like you think a critique partner would be helpful?

There are some groups on facebook where you might be able to find some people who write in the same genre as you.

Try Alessandra Torres Inkers, The Writing Gals, and the The Writing Gals Critique Group as a starting point (use the search function in those groups as often people have already posted and started a genre specific group).

But honestly I wouldn't recommend becoming reliant on someone else keeping you accountable, or giving you feedback.

Critique can be good but sometimes it hinders the creative process, other times it can be the blind leading the partially sighted. You've been exposed to stories since the day you were born, so trust yourself. The actual nuts and bolts of the writing can be critiqued after you've finished.

And the same goes for accountability. In my experience people are enthusiastic for a while and then it starts to taper off. Train yourself to be your own accountability.

Find a sprint room (MyWriteClub is okay, recently I've been using OhWrite.io which is brilliant and it has a DARK MODE for nightshift sessions). Or there is the gamification method, like 4theWords where you have to fight monsters by completing writing sprints to win challenges. Find what works for you, but set a timer and promise yourself you will type until the timer goes off (15 or 25 minutes are good times to shoot for, then 5 minute break).

Create a spreadsheet or grab a notebook and track every single word you write in each sprint. Gradually build up your stamina. Hell, make a sticker chart. Writing is like running in that it takes time to build up a muscle, but the more you do it the easier it becomes. Or like going to the gym, you dread the thought of it but once you're there it's kinda fun, and once you're done you feel so much better.

Hope that helps.

Bucolicky · 25/06/2020 13:59

Thank you - I'll check out the sprint rooms. At this stage I just need to get started and not overthink myself into paralysis. My ideal scenario is having a small cohort of trusted writers on the same wavelength to check in with periodically, for mutual support.

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