Want to start a writers group
I have been writing for quite some time, but always look for new ideas, new perspectives, new genres, new ways of promoting or improving or sharing my work. I'm not a professional and still have lots to learn. I am open to all kinds of writing and levels of expertise, and want to open a space where there is genuine and helpful sharing, rather than snarky and dismissive barbs.
I don't think this should be a place where someone writes a quick and sloppy sub-first draft and then eagerly begs for only positive comments. Writing is hard work. It is a craft and takes serious study and time. It can also be lonely and discouraging.
I envision a virtual coffee shop where we have all gathered with our latest work, wondering what our next step is, how a good editor can be found, how to write a query letter, is self-publishing a good choice, how did you get an agent...those sorts of discussions.
How is a new group formed?
To answer your question literally ("how is a writing group formed"), speaking from my own experience in leading such a group:
The bare minimum: assemble one person who wants start a group, a few other participants, and a physical meeting place or online platform (forum, Slack channel, etc.). Sprinkle with vinaigrette, toss, and serve.
Somewhat better: assemble one or two people with the time, wherewithal, and people-wrangling skills to start a group and keep it going; three or four other participants who write at least semi-consistently; and a meeting place or platform as described above. Having multiple "leaders" is a huge help--that way the group won't die if one of them loses interest or hits a patch where they're too busy to run things. Making sure the members actually write enough to keep the group supplied with material is essential, or else you'll devolve into a social group of people who like to write. (Which isn't inherently a bad thing, but it's also not, by definition, a writing group.) Also note that you'll want enough members to keep the discussion lively (or, at minimum, a proper discussion rather than a dialogue or monologue). And as for the meetings themselves, be willing to shift the schedule around as the members figure out what works for them, acquire new commitments, shed old ones, and such.
Optimal: assemble two fairly experienced writers (with both a solid knowledge of the craft and some idea of how to answer all those questions you mention about next steps, publishing, and such) who are able and willing both to keep the group going and to continuously recruit new members to replace the ones that inevitably drop out over time; several participants (including a core of at least three to four members who show up to most every meeting) who write regularly, are committed to improving their craft, and have similar goals for their writing; a meeting place or platform that can scale to fit however many people you have on a given day; and some way in which the members can bond/collaborate/keep in touch outside the group's formal meetings. That ought to leave you with a functional, cohesive, and sustainable writing group--though, of course, all that is much easier said than done.
In the end, it all comes down to the people you recruit. A writing group, like any voluntary association, will only exist as long as its members want to keep it going, and whether they want to keep it going will depend on a lot of factors outside you-as-the-leader's direct control. Do the members get along? Are they available at the same dates and times for meetings? Do they like each other's writing well enough to enjoy reading and discussing it? Can a critical mass of them contribute useful feedback?
I can't stress questions 3 and 4 enough. It's all well and good to be "open to all kinds of writing and levels of expertise" at first, when the group is still seeking core members and figuring out what it wants to be, but the facts remain that 1) not every writer likes (or understands well enough to critique) every sort of writing and 2) writers vary wildly in skill and experience. A lone hard-scifi writer won't stick around for long in a group of poets (unless that scifi writer is, like, the next John M. Ford), nor would a writer who's near publication in a group full of newbies who still struggle with exposition-dumping and comma splices. An ideal group would consist of members different enough to not devolve into a hivemind, but similar enough in taste and skill to understand what each other is getting at and give feedback at the level each other needs.
So then: the best way to go about finding writers that would make good group-mates for you is probably to tell them about yourself: what sort of writing you do, what sorts (if any) you appreciate but don't do, where you hope to take your writing (you seem interested in publishing someday), and, of course, logistical concerns like what time zone you're on and when you're available to meet up. Share a piece or two that you've written, if you can--I generally ask prospective members of my group to show us one polished piece (so we can see what they're capable of at their best) and one first draft (so we can see what they'll be submitting for feedback). Broadcast the call wide and sundry... and then sit back and see who answers.
Best of luck to you as you assemble your group!
Thank you so much for this detailed and very helpful response! But I was asking more specifically, how does one start a "group" on tildes. I will use your kind suggestions for my newly forming irl group.
For the time being, only @Deimos is making groups. Eventually there will be some system for creating them, either by trusted users, based on most used tags, or some combination.
I imagine there will be something like ~creative.writing one day, but for now ~creative is the best place for this sort of discussion, tagged appropriately. (I've read things that would suggest posts tagged "writing" could get pulled automatically into a ~creative.writing subgroup if/when it is created.)
Hope that helps! :)
Yes, it does. It needs to grow organically. Makes sense!
Ah, I see what you mean. @eladnarra's right that you can't do that yet, but as the site grows and more people join in, they'll probably start letting us splinter off more. (According to the Mechanics page, one of the reasons they don't want users creating groups yet is to concentrate us together and keep the existing groups active.)
I'm glad I could help you out with that IRL group, though. :)
For right now, I would recommend ice breakers and community building threads here in ~creative. :)
People will naturally band together in a support group if there's good feeling and common ground. Count me in; I love to write, and I'm told I'm a decent editor. While I write fiction and poetry, I have a good grasp on nonfiction and academic formats for reviews.
I would say that after a couple of months, a group would start on its own. :)
Maybe even something like /r/writingprompts
I would love a group like this. I'm pretty novice, but I enjoy writing, and usually find myself wishing I had some sort of guidance or knew other people who also wanted to write more (hello, internet). I'm finally in a place where I feel comfortable sharing and getting feedback on my writing too.
I'm also a pretty good editor/proofreader, and can spot inconsistencies/plot holes!
I'd be down to clown. But in all seriousness I would love to join a writing group on a fresh new website. I've gone through a few other writing specific website and while they seemed helpful they had pretty strict guidelines and prerequisites to even getting your own work looked at. It'd be nice to have something serious but not so way up there to even begin to talk about one another's work.