The Power of Writing Together
The Power of Writing Together
By Julie Tollefson
Meredith Doench, author of the Luce Hansen queer thriller series and the 2022 stand-alone thriller Whereabouts Unknown, knows the tremendous benefits to be gained when writers work together. She’s one of five fiction writers who have met regularly in person for two years and is also co-leader of weekly virtual MWA Midwest write-ins. Here she offers five tips for getting the most out of your writing group, whether you meet in the same physical space or online.
1) Gather your squad — Meredith, Erin Flanagan, Sharon Short, Christina Consolino, and Katrina Kittle bonded over a love of writing. The writers, who live within 20 miles of each other and meet in person regularly, call themselves the Cute City Bitches, a moniker they adopted in the wake of a misogynistic encounter with a stranger on a neighborhood street when they returned from their first writing retreat.
“He slowed his truck to a stop, hung his elbow out the window, and yelled ‘Look at you! Cute City!’ Incredibly vile, honestly, and not at all the way we wanted to be greeted returning home from this inspiration and work-filled weekend,” Meredith says. But: “It wasn’t long before someone said, ‘Damn right I’m cute city!’ Almost two years later, we still claim the name.”
The Cute City Bitches, CCB for short, all write fiction but their genres vary: historical fiction, queer thrillers, romance, mystery, and women’s fiction.
“For me, it’s not so important the other writers are working in the same genre as I do,” Meredith says. “I love to hear about other genres and how those works are written. It’s more about the love of writing and the willingness to keep at it even when things seem bleak.”
To find your own squad, check out literary events and readings at your public library or local bookstores. Make connections through local chapters of national organizations like MWA.
When forming a group, consider your writing goals and make sure all members are on the same page from the beginning.
“For us, it’s worked well to keep our group small,” Meredith says. “It allows us to focus on each others’ work and support one another the best we can. If a group becomes too large, it can be really difficult to offer everyone feedback and support.”
2) Carve out a schedule that works for all — CCB members try to meet at least once a month, but day jobs and family obligations can wreak havoc on schedules, making the time they do have together more special.
“We like to do long days together, either at one of our homes or a coffee house,” Meredith says. “We try for a three- to five-hour meeting where we can catch some words and talk about writing.”
Though many writing groups have found success in virtual meetings, living close allows CCB to meet in person.
“The energy and spark of ideas that flow in a room full of writers is really magical,” Meredith says.
They supplement their long sessions with pop-up meetings — where anyone who’s available meets at a coffeehouse — and multi-day retreats.
“We usually do two retreats a year, in the fall and spring, for a weekend away at a home generously donated by Erin’s sister,” Meredith says. “It’s great fun but also a lot of work.”
Time is precious, and they try to spend the bulk of it writing when they are together.
“It’s hard for most of us to find the space and time to write,” she says. “We do allow time for discussion of writing issues and personal issues. We just try to keep the focus on writing production.”
3) Manage your time — One simple tool plays a huge role in the success of CCB meetups: timers.
‘We allow for chit-chat, particularly at the beginning of each session as we all catch up with one another,” Meredith says. “But once that timer starts, we are on the clock. There is something so powerful about working alongside other writers. We feed off one another’s productivity.”
CCB members read each others’ manuscripts when time permits, but if a member’s work or personal life is too busy, no worries. Their focus, always, is on writing. “Our group tries not to overwhelm anyone with reading,” Meredith says. “At the same time, we all need constructive feedback, and a small group can offer that.”
In addition to the excellent feedback she receives from fellow Cute City Bitches, Meredith relies on critique partners who are part of the LGBTQ writing community.
4) Mix and match motivation — The members of Cute City Bitches are at different stages in their careers and projects, which works to the benefit of all.
“Others who are further along the project paths can tell us what worked for them, and it’s always nice to try out our ideas with one another before sinking hours into a plot that might not hold together,” Meredith says.
Making their goals public, even just among themselves, provides a boost to keep them on the “write” path.
“I’m someone who doesn’t do well with making promises to myself,” Meredith says. “I suck with the follow through! However, I take my promises and obligations to others seriously.”
Reporting back to the other Cute City Bitches with her monthly progress has been a game changer.
“Once my goals are public with these writers, I feel like I need to meet them, and I’d say most of the writers in the group feel the same,” she says.
Another motivator: stickers!
Monthly goal sheets — laminated to allow them to cross off goals as they attain them — colored markers, and stickers to celebrate big and small achievements keep CCB projects moving and members on task.
“We are serious about our goal setting,” says Meredith. “But stickers — I’m telling you, they do wonders for our motivation!"
5) Give Zoom a try — MWA Midwest sponsors Saturday morning write-ins on Zoom from 10 a.m. to noon Eastern (9–11 a.m Central). Meredith and past MWA Midwest president Mindy Mejia co-lead the meetups that began as a one-month Nanowrimo support group and three years later continue with a core group of six to eight regulars.
“This mighty little group was my saving grace during COVID and has remained a staple in my weekly writing since,” Meredith says. “We chat about our projects and life for a bit before getting started. Then we dive in with two rounds of 40-minute writings. It’s been a great way to start my weekends off with a word count.”
All MWA Midwest members are welcome to join the meeting: 9 a.m. Central/10 a.m. Eastern every Saturday on Zoom. Join here.