My experience with a subscription-based writing group
A glimpse into how other writers write. Brain dumps. Writing faster. Connecting with other writers.
Quick stats for my memoir:
124: Pages written
36,240: Word count completed during NaNoWriMo
55,027: Total word count completed
After logging into Zoom, I wait for the Brady Bunch squares to appear on my screen. I’m a little nervous but also excited. Some people have their cameras turned off and when we’re done saying hello, there are a total of about 12 people on the call.
The meeting starts on time and without any small talk or chit-chat, we’re given a prompt to write about. Today, it’s one word—“boobs.” The host says “go.”
We’re timed for 30 minutes and we furiously write about boobs. I notice one dude in the group and wonder for a hot second what he’ll write about.
At the end of the half-hour, we’re told to stop. Then, three people share what they’ve written and the rest of the group gives feedback.
During the feedback part, I notice the writer is referred to in the third person as “the narrator.” Also, the narrator is not allowed to chime in to answer or explain further. I think this is a similar format to how MFA programs structure group feedback sessions? I like it and it works.
The comments from the group are surprisingly thoughtful, insightful, and encouraging. I say “surprising” because I guess I didn’t have a lot of expectations from writing groups in general—I don’t know why. Maybe it’s just a thing I pre-judged without even realizing I was doing that.
Why I like Writing Class Radio
I guess you could say I was hooked from the first day I joined the Writing Class Radio First Draft group.
I’m impressed by many of the writers in the group. I can tell many aren’t newbie writers. This appeals to me because I’m all about learning from others who are better than me. Their prose is exquisite and subjective. It makes me reassess my own prosin’ and I make a note to work on that.
Before I joined the group, I wasn’t expecting to feel such trust and vulnerability from both myself and everyone else in the group. I mean, you need that to be able to write something compelling and emotional. And in this class, people don’t hold back. It’s freaking awesome.
We freely write about things like heartbreak, abuse, love, and sometimes sex. It’s all the reasons why I love reading memoirs in the first place and why I’m compelled to write my own.
I also love the creativity behind what writers choose to write about, based on a one-word prompt or a short phrase, like, “The time I humiliated myself…”
Why a writing group?
This goes back to the earlier days when I felt so lost about writing my book. Of course, I was desperate to learn about structure and climax and all that, but I also wanted a way in to see what other writers were writing about, in real time.
This writing group gives me the ability to gain new perspectives on diverse voices and techniques. I’ve become so appreciative of the different writing styles and tones and have learned to really embrace my own.
Back to my first Zoom call. I was chosen to share what I wrote. I was ridiculously nervous but had such a good time sharing and learning what the group wanted to know more about and why. It’s a perspective you can’t see, especially when you’re in your own head, day after day, writing page after page.
I bet writing prompts are good for your brain
I’ve only been in this group for a few months, but I swear my skills at writing have improved. I bet there’s science brain stuff to back this up, but I’m too lazy to research, so let’s just go with my anecdotal evidence as fact.
I can write faster but more thoughtfully. When I finish a paragraph or chapter in my book, I sometimes picture the group saying, “hey, you glazed over this part! I want to know more.”
I’m a lot more critical of completely fleshing out the why—whether it’s about boobs, an article for my clients, or a chapter in my book.
There’s also another reason why people join this group. The hosts, Allison Langer and Andrea Askowitz are well-connected in the online world for personal essay publication. They sometimes share which editor is looking for a specific piece about a topic and post regularly on their Facebook group about it.
Writing Class Radio podcast
I first discovered First Draft from Writing Class Radio’s podcast, which features personal essays, sort of like Modern Love. But instead of interviewing the writer in the second half of the podcast, as Modern Love does, Allison and Andrea break it down to discuss what drew them in and what they loved about the piece.
Just from listening to the podcast (which I sometimes binge on long walks), I was struck by how much I was learning.
Pay to play
The writing group costs $25 a month (I believe they’re raising their prices to $35?). You can log into one or two weekly Zooms.
They also offer a second draft class which is $125 a month because you’re given more detailed feedback in case you want to actually submit the essay for publication somewhere.
Enjoying the process
I think a lot of writers agree that writing can be lonely and being a part of writing groups like this one is such a blessing. Having a trusted group of people to learn from and feel supported are combinations I deeply treasure. It’s made my journey to authorship that much more fun.