If you are an up-and-coming writer, one of the best decisions you could make is to join a writer’s club. It is a decision that will help you grow as an author while doing what you enjoy with people who share similar interests. The club can also act as a group that will provide you support when you need it and help you push through any obstacles you might stumble upon your writer’s career.
However, keep in mind that the primary role of the club is to critique your work and point out how you can improve it. Quite often, you will see clubs form and fall apart due to people not submitting work on time or because the dynamic of the whole club is off. To prevent something like that from happening, the person organizing the writers’ club should follow a few simple steps to maintain the cohesion among the group and keep the club alive and running.
Keep The Numbers Low
It is a good idea to keep the low number of members of the group. It is a lot easier to create a safe environment by keeping the numbers low as your members will get to better know each other and have a sense of security when sharing their work and their thoughts among each other. It is a simple thing that can immensely boost the efficiency of your group and will guarantee that your members are eagerly looking forward to a new meeting.
Keeping The Group Flexible
Respecting other people’s time is very important. Before forming a group, you need to have a realistic idea of how often you can meet as a team and what potential members expect from it. If everyone is on the same page, no pun intended, and no one is rushing through, the group will operate much smoother and much more efficient. Depending on the size of your group, it would be an excellent idea to once in a while adjust your meetings and adapt it to the other members and their schedule.
Having Members of Similar Skill Level
By having members of the similar skill level, you will ensure that everyone equally benefits from the club. If everyone is moving at the same pace and everyone is content with the progress they are making, the whole group will flourish regardless of, for example, having writers that write in different genres.
Conclusion
The most important part before forming a club is setting the guidelines, making sure that every member knows what to expect and what they are committing to. The last bit of advice might seem redundant as it is quite straightforward, but you should talk to your fellow members and see if your writer’s club needs adjustments or improvements.
