The Perks of Being in a Writing Group (a guest blog)

I posted on Facebook once: “Spending the day with my laptop. I know you all think I’m sipping Dom Perignon and writing the next great American novel from the top of the Eiffel Tower, but I’m actually down at the coffee shop, no make-up, hair tied up, wearing a pair of white sweatpants that are so big you could play a movie on my rear end if I bent over at the drive-in theater.” I added the hashtag #thuglife.

It took all of ten seconds for one of my smart-aleck friends to respond, “What’s playing?”

We writers know that we’re really not having tea and crumpets with JK Rowling every other week. I’ve never even seen a crumpet and have yet to meet Ms. Rowling. But there is one thing I decided to do to bring some bling to my writing career – start a writing group. Crazy, right?

How I ever managed to gather the caliber of writers that so divinely came to me is beyond anything I could have imagined. We call ourselves the Flying M-Inklings (pronounced Minklings), a nod to The Flying M coffee shop where we meet every Saturday as well as to those talented Oxford-lads across the pond.

I had no idea when I put the word out that I was starting this group that these individuals would become my best friends, proverbially greater than the sum of our parts. Of course, we share our writing and critique each other’s work – we’re a writing group after all. But the M-Inklings have evolved into much more than that. Part of what we do as a group is encourage other writing groups to find their own collective identities.

On behalf of my fellow M-Inklings, who believe that all writers should join forces with others, I would love to show here how worthwhile a writing group can be.

Ah, the possibilities…

• Has your manuscript ever been passed over by a big publisher, not because your writing wasn’t good enough – but because your platform wasn’t big enough? In case you don’t know this feeling, it sucks, let me tell you. One of the most compelling perks of being in a writing group is that you are able to share each other’s spheres of influence, which instantly increases your reader base. On social media, my own “friends’ list” more than quadrupled by being part of the M-Inklings. Our friends’ lists increase together exponentially. This is an example of instant gratification in spades. The only thing better than stepping out onto your own platform to be heard is being able to stand on the platforms of others. Do the math. It’s pretty slick.
• Don’t you wish all you had to do as an author is write? We can’t merely write! We have to know how to market and how to blog. Our tech skills are challenged every day. We need a website. We have publishing questions. We have a business to run. When you are part of a writing group, each individual brings their own area of expertise to the table, and everyone in the group benefits. Among the M-Inklings are syntax warriors and grammar geeks, website-teckie-blogging buffs and structure virtuosos. Your career goals, whatever they are, have an infinitely better chance of becoming reality when you’re working with others than they would if you were working alone. The learning curve shortens right up when you are working in tandem with writers who have similar goals.
• Here in Boise we are lucky enough to have The Cabin whose mission is “…to inspire and celebrate a love of reading, writing, and discourse throughout Idaho and the region,” which is pretty well what the M-Inklings are all about too. It’s been amazing for The Flying M-Inklings to be able to hook up with The Cabin and participate in some of the events they host. Just recently, we went on one of our field trips to meet Markus Zusak who, we all know, wrote The Book Thief, my current #1 fave (subject to change, of course). Here is Brandon getting his books signed. We had waited in line for three and a half hours to see him. In that time, Brandon and Katie and Nic and I thought of at least a dozen new projects for our group which we will roll out in time. Never a dull moment.
• Your writing group can become a living, breathing being. In fact, the Flying M-Inklings have become an entity all her own, and she has even launched her own website – flyingminklings.org. The site features our writing but also provides writing tips for other authors and bloggers. Not only do we collaborate with each other, we are also interested in collaborating with other writers who are willing to share their expertise with us and the rest of the world. So if you’d be interested in standing on our platform and guest blogging for us, let us know. We’d love to hook up with other writing groups out there.
• Finally, check out this place! Our very own Brandon Paul has taken it upon himself to be the events coordinator for the group, and we are thrilled and delighted to let him. (We call him Julie, the Cruise Director, which… he’s probably about to figure out as soon as he reads this. Maybe he won’t read this?) This has got to be one of the best perks of having a writing group. The M-Inklings’ Annual Writing Retreat is the highlight of our entire year. It is a time where each one of us looks back at our own individual accomplishments as well as our achievements as a group. We set new goals, we strategize the best ways to reach those goals, and we provide a support for one another. Additionally, we definitely know how to celebrate ourselves and encourage each other over every hurdle. Priceless.We know that many of you are already in some amazing writing groups who have enjoyed extraordinary success, and we’d love for you to start a thread here on Chip’s blog. The M-Inklings will all be checking in and taking part in the conversation. Also, if you are interested in starting a writing group, let us know what questions you have, and we’ll get them answered for you!

Talk soon!

Daisy Rain

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Daisy Rain Martin is an author, educator, speaker, and advocate for those who have been marginalized by abuse and poverty. Her first book, Juxtaposed: Finding Sanctuary on the Outside, was the #1 top selling book for Christopher Matthews Publishing in 2012. Her second book, If It’s Happened to You, is available for free on her website: www.daisyrainmartin.com. Daisy is Editor in Chief of RAIN Magazine, a small online publication that features new, up-and-coming writers and raises money for three charities: Advocates Against Family Violence in Caldwell, Idaho; The City Impact Center in Las Vegas, Nevada; and Treasures of Africa Children’s Home, an AIDS orphanage in Moshi, Tanzania. Daisy is also one of seven members in the Flying M-Inklingswriting group which works to promote literacy and help other writers and writing groups reach their literary goals. She lives with her husband, Sean-Martin, and their lab, Sofia, near Boise, Idaho, and loves talking to other writers. Please feel free to friend her on social media.