3 Reasons Why You Need a Writing Support Team

Having a writing partner doesn't just keep you on track, it's a lot of fun as well!

Last week I wrote about the importance of having a core group of writers to help combat issues with Writers Isolation. This week I'd like to talk about accountability partners. Whether found in the form of a critique group, a single friend you meet up with regularly for "coffee dates," or through an online forum, I've discovered three vital reasons for having a writing support team:

Having a writing support team keeps you focused

I have a mind that wanders worse than a puppy set loose in a 5-acre fenceless field. I stare at the sky. I stare at the grass. I think lots of thoughts. I have lots of ideas I want to do something with, and sometimes I get so wrapped up in the planning stage it kills my productivity. I've written in the past that I found an accountability partner in my friend Xochi; we share in what's happening in nearly every aspect of our lives, but most importantly we know we can safely confide in each other about our writing ups and downs.

One of the things I love the most about our friendship is that when she reads through my work she's not afraid to lovingly call me out when I meander down a rabbit trail. Without telling me what to do to fix it she'll point out where I got off track, suggest passages to reconsider, and offer up a couple tips that, after I mull them over a bit, get me moving in the right direction again.

Having a writing support team keeps you moving forward

Ultimately, the only person responsible for getting you to sit down and finish what you've started is yourself, but it sure helps to have someone to bounce ideas off of — and when necessary, keep you on task. Xochi and I try to set aside some time every week to bring each other up to speed about what's going on. Her first question to me is always the same: How's the book project coming? How's the blog?

We both understand that life gets pretty hectic at times. This past year I've worked a number of odd jobs doing everything from leading a middle school and high school youth group, caregiving, and more recently working the breakfast shift and helping with housekeeping duties at a local river lodge to make ends meet. Xochi's a wife, the mother of a teenaged boy, and a student working towards her Masters. There are days we forget we're both writers as well, and if we want to continue being writers, we have to write.

Having a writing support team challenges you as an individual

I tend to hover on the more introverted side of the personality spectrum, which unfortunately means I hold back in my writing as well. Xochi is the opposite. Since I've started working with her I've found a new boldness that has gone beyond writing and bled into other aspects of my life as well. It was because of her encouragement that I started looking into the Mount Hermon Christian Writer's Conference last winter (and thanks to my sister, I was able to attend this past spring). With a little tough love from Xochi (and many others) I stepped out of my comfort zone and pitched my book to both an editor and an agent while I was there. 

Later, when I didn't think I had it in me to sit at my desk every day to finish the aforementioned book re-write and proposal for the editor and agent, Xochi was there with little care packages, lots of encouraging words, and when needed, some brutally honest ones as well. I'm still waiting to hear back on my proposals, but Xochi has been keeping me motivated to continue working on new projects (and hold onto my sanity) in the meantime.

What does your writing support group look like? And if you haven't found one yet, what prevents you from reaching out to someone? 

When Criticism breeds Strength

I’ll never forget the day I sat through my first peer critique in college. It was my first creative writing course and I’d spent weeks agonizing over what to write. I ended up with a corny children’s bedtime story, that while fun to write, I was terrified to show others and hear what they truly thought. Not only did I make myself sick over it, I ended up calling one of my closest guy friends and filling his voicemail with tears because there was no doubt in my mind the entire class would hate it. It was the first time I’d ever contemplated skipping class.

The way the critique worked was simple: everyone got a copy of my story the class prior to my critique date. On judgment day I had to read the story aloud and then sit silently while each of my classmates commented on what worked for them and what didn’t. If I opened my mouth to defend or explain myself, I’d be docked points; afterwards I could ask a couple of questions for clarification on anything that was said.

To be honest, it was less traumatic an event than I’d made it out to be and I’ve since adopted the credo “The fear of the thing is worse than the thing itself.” Many of my classmates really enjoyed the concept of my story and my professor suggested I learn more about writing for young readers because he thought I had talent in that direction. A classmate even asked to take my story home for his son.

The reason I remember that day so vividly is because it is the day I learned the value of constructive criticism. It also formed the first layer of skin I would require to make my way as a writer. I’ve gone through many more critiques since then, some more pleasant than others, but I quickly discovered that I learn more from having someone point out my weak spots than by receiving pats on the back. I need honest eyes because I tend to overlook or justify obvious flaws in my storytelling. It also helped prepare me for the rejection slips that would later come my way.

I believe learning how to handle critiques of my work early on has been one of the most beneficial lessons I’ve learned. It’s taught me to separate what is being said about my work from how I think about myself. It has also encouraged me to look at my writing through a different point of view. Because of this, it is much easier to pick up my pen and get to work rewriting after receiving a generic “Thank you, but not today.”

And besides, I’ve had enough Yeses to prove to me that when I put my mind to it, I’ve got what it takes to stay in this game.