The Write-In Versus the Writing Group - Ready? Fight!

I considered leaving this post for during November, as it would fit the theme of National Novel Writing Month, but with the start of Camp NaNoWriMo, maybe it best I do it now. I’m going to look at the two common forms of writer gatherings – a write-in and a writing group.

Let me start by discussing the similarities of both concepts. A write-in and a writing group are gatherings of writers.

Made for a short paragraph, huh? Well, that is because outside of that fact, things are different.

Write-ins are geared toward placing words onto the page. When discussions happen, they usually revolve around the present work of the person who starts the conversation. Maybe they got stuck on a plot point and need that nudge of other writerly minds to move forward. Or perhaps a character is trying to move away from the original plan of the plot and they need to discuss why. Snacks or rewards for achieving some set goal are also a possible staple of the write-in. Rarely have I seen a write-in that didn’t have chocolate or some equivalent. Yes, writers are gathered around a table, but everyone is lost in their own world (literally.)

Another way to think about a write-in is this: The environment is nurturing towards creation.

Writing groups are a different undertaking. They work with completed prose, trying to massage it for the best sheen and presentation. They discuss more, usually with fewer snacks. Everyone will be reading what is presented with an eye toward tightening or rewording. Some might have a portion of the gathering that is free write time, but that isn’t the focus of the meeting. Writing groups focus on improving the craft through editing and encouragement. Most writing groups have a specific focus, be it a certain genre or a certain length. Here, the gathering of writers around a table is traveling to each other’s worlds to pull the weeds.

Another way to look at writing groups is this: The environment is critical and geared toward improvement.

Why is it important for me to make this distinction? Frequently, after NaNoWriMo, writing groups will gain a glut of new recruits. They’ve just had this glorious experience with hundreds of other writers working together and they feel a writing group will be the same feel and flow. Then they find out how wrong that thought process is.

Before you decide to join a writing group, check them out, talk to their members. Find out what that group presents and how they operate. If things don’t feel right, don’t be afraid to speak out when the group meets. Be ready to accept criticism – and when you get it, don’t slink away.

Successful writers can operate in both environments, but one must know one’s tolerance for each before wading into the ring.

Novel Writing Tips for November

Okay, so for those worrying through NaNoWriMo, you’re through four days. This means you should have around 6700 words, with the hope of 8400 by day’s end.

What’s that? You’ve not gotten that far?

Let me offer some suggestions to jump-start your creative process.

First and probably the most important for doing the mad-dash novel writing that NaNoWriMo requires, remember that you don’t have to write in chronological order. Heck, your scenes don’t even have to be written in a logical order. This also means that if you know the ending, but not the beginning, you can just write what you already know, then go back and fill in the blanks. Just write the scene and rearrange later.

Next, consider additions. Early on, you have an advantage. The cast is still evolving. You’ve not established a lot of plot to harbor your difficulties. So why not add in a character? Need comic relief, add a wise cracking sidekick. Looking for the romantic angle, add a lover for one of the primary characters. Adding a character doesn’t make sense?

Um, you’re just trying to get writing, making sense comes later.

Oh, advantage of adding a nonsense character now – you can kill him off later when the book starts to flag again! Yup, the death of a character jump starts things as much as the addition of one does. In fact, at one point, you may need to contemplate killing off a primary character to either 1) make the plot work or 2) move along creatively. A death scene creates different reactions from different people, so just writing about reactions can easily get you three thousand words.

Speaking of reactions, tell the reader what your point of view character is looking at when they enter a room, forest, or car. Descriptive paragraphs fill pages with words. Think Robert Jordan or David Drake. They can make for many pages worth of words. And those words can be pared down once the story is completed.

I’ve heard some people expound on the joys of pages worth of dialogue. This really depends on how many soliloquies that you have your characters speaking. My dialogue tends to be quick shots of conversation, sometimes to fill in details, sometimes for character action interaction. They don’t expand my word count as much as a paragraph of description that lasts two pages.

Honestly, these techniques work outside of November as well. Just get the story written then revise once it’s completed. After all, Revision is Writing.

The Art of the Deadline

Huh, look at that. It’s November again.

What’s the big deal about November? National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, is the big deal. I offer a chocolate, coffee, and Red Bull™ to all those attempting the mad writing dash this month. I’ve attempted it in the past, but am taking the year off to just cheer on those that I know taking part in the monumental task.

Ah, I see we have some disbelievers in the reading audience.

I was told, early in my writing career, that a “true” writer doesn’t do NaNoWriMo. I believed those that told me such things because I was SO new to the game and they were “experienced” writers. I hadn’t discovered then what I know now.

There are benefits to NaNoWriMo, some of which I will express here. Feel free to offer rebuttals to my opinions in the comments.

One big thing that the event teaches is Writerly Habits. Before 2005, when I attempted it for the first time, I wrote when I felt like it. Sometimes, I’d go months between writing sessions. “The Muse hadn’t moved me recently,” I’d say with some aplomb.

It was an easy excuse to use, when I was younger and naïve.

NaNoWriMo taught me to put my butt in the chair and write, whether the muse spoke to me or not. If I wanted to write, I had to make the effort. It wouldn’t make the effort for me. As the years pressed on, I learned that an every day approach wasn’t required, as long as I made the final numbers.

It also teaches that Revision is Writing. The objective of NaNoWriMo is to create a first draft, not a masterpiece ready for publication.

Tips to reach the end usually include:
Kill off a character.
Write a sex scene.
Skip to the next most interesting scene.
Add a character.

A lot of those sound familiar, don’t they?

You’re not supposed to revise as you write during November. However, if it requires adding a paragraph with a character in a completed section, go back and do it! If you add a silly scene with five pages of description, it can be edited for better flow later. All words are sacred during the event.

Consider, also, that NaNoWriMo offers a solid, fixed deadline. Complete manuscript A by November 30. No leeway, no wiggle room to weasel an extra day from your agent. It offers a great training ground for people who want to write, because it gives you a short period of time and a set number of words to complete.

As a plus for many writers attempting the challenge, they can experiment with something outside of their comfort zone. Normally, I write science fiction, fantasy, or general fiction. In 2005, I tried mystery. I attempted a book with a large cast and an epic disaster for 2009. I’m not proud of the fact that 2007 was my “adult fantasy” year. For 2006 and 2008, I stuck to genres I knew, but I played with other aspects of the challenge. Could I reach 60,000 words in 30 days? I know one professional writer who says, thanks to NaNoWriMo, she won’t ever write westerns. It’s about the experiment, not the final product.

Another advantage of the event is the development of community. I knew that writing was a solitary adventure. That gave me mixed emotions. Then I tried NaNoWriMo and found this huge community of writers, more than 100,000 strong, who were attempting this feat together. People gathered to discuss their plot, their successes and failures, and their distractions. Friendships developed. Suddenly, I wasn’t alone in my writing. I had people I could turn to and ask for help with my plot or character problem. Writing groups have grown from this event. I’ve heard of two marriages from people who met through NaNoWriMo.

Of the 100,000 plus that attempt it every year, not everyone reaches said deadline. Some just give up, which one can’t do with a contract. Some struggle all month, but they can’t get out of their plot’s way. And some sign up, but never get started. Those who are in it for the love of the written word and the community that NaNoWriMo creates thrive.

I’d encourage every writer to attempt National Novel Writing Month once. Win, lose or draw, I suggest making the attempt. Don’t talk bad of the event that you’ve never tried. It may not offer the type of writing environment that you’ll thrive in, but that’s okay. It’s a learning environment for everyone.