Do you think you would be more productive with a writing group? If so, below is a toolkit to help you set up a writing group.

Step 1

Gather a few like-minded people together.

Step 2

Decide what your writing group is for:

• Is it to spend time in the company of others who are writing?
• Is it for writing support to help with the process (state your targets to the group and check in)?
• Do you want a group that gives feedback on each other’s work?

Step 3

Make some ground rules:

1. How often will you meet?
2. Where will you meet?
3. What structure will each meeting take?
4. If you are giving feedback on each other’s work, how much will you give feedback on?

Step 4

Meet.

Step 5

After a few meetings decide if the group is working or if something needs to change.

Things to do during your meeting:

1. Quiet writing.
2. Author sends writing in advance and group comments on it.
3. Group ask and answer questions that they are finding challenging.
4. Individuals set writing goals each meeting and then follow up with how much they have done.

To get some inspiration, read about how our PGRs from the Guildford School of Acting got together to write and stay connected during the Pandemic: https://blogs.surrey.ac.uk/doctoralcollege/2020/06/15/guildford-school-of-acting-pgrs-staying-connected-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/

Happy writing!