The Limitations of Online Writing Groups

(and how to make them work for you)

Can you be a good writer if you don’t read much?

Which is better? Writing as it goes and letting the story surprise you, or planning it all out?

These are all versions of questions I’ve seen posted in online writing forums of which I am a member. They make me want to throw my hands in the air.

How would you answer?

The answers I draft in my head vary in tone, but usually boil down to some version of, “It depends…”

Answers to writing questions depend on context. (An exception might be: Do I capitalize the first letter of the first word in a sentence? But that’s not what I’m talking about here.) What kind of book are you writing? What style do you prefer to communicate in? Can you tell me more about what the characters want and the problems they face?

No question about craft lives in a void, and neither does your book. Sailing in with a question and providing no context will give you very limited, if not useless, results.

Online writing groups attract people of different backgrounds and levels of writing experience. And while there is much we can celebrate in this diversity, in terms of actionable support you can use for your book, groups like this are limited.

Let’s take a look at why this might be, and how to use them to your best advantage.

Generalist versus specialist

These groups are largely generalist in nature—that is, they capture a broad range of writing experience, styles, and even genres (though usually the group self-selects for fiction/nonfiction/memoir). As a result, we see a wide range of questions, from the craft-related (e.g., how to create good dialogue) to the technical (when should I italicize?).

And generalist support is wonderful. I don’t want to downplay this. Writing can be a difficult task; creating a book day after day a lonely endeavor. Sometimes we just need to know there’s someone else out there who GETS it.

That said, there is a limit to what generalist support can give you. And if you’re writing a [insert genre here], and have a question specific to that genre/audience, then you need to seek input from that audience.

Would you take your soccer questions to your friend the basketball nut? Or your questions about aviation to your car mechanic? Unless they are crossover enthusiasts, they won’t be able to tell you much.

Generalist questions appropriate to ask a general audience include suggestions for how to get into the writing habit, overcome writer’s block, and recommendations for places to find craft resources such as classes or workshops.

The importance of experience

Presumably, if you are asking for writing advice, you want advice from someone who has a greater level of experience and knowledge than you do. If you’ll pardon me for going back to a sports metaphor: You and your friend, having never played tennis before, sign up for tennis lessons. Who are you going to ask about the best way to serve—your friend, or the tennis instructor?

Big, general groups, in particular, attract many novice or beginner writers. While their intentions may be good, and some will display a high level of intuitive insight, consider the quality of the advice you’re likely to receive from people who are in the same boat you are.

As I’ve witnessed time and again, once writers reach a certain level of comfort and understanding of the craft, they tend to exit big, beginner-heavy groups in preference to smaller, more skilled communities that don’t include beginners anymore. Some may decide to continue in the larger communities to give back by becoming a mentor themselves, but they are generally not there anymore to receive advice.

The importance of your goals

Beyond the expertise of the group, consider your own writing experience, and the goals you have—both for a specific project and for your writing skills at large.

Are you a novice writer? In that case, a large online community might be a comfortable place to start. Or are you already more established or comfortable with your craft and seeking more advanced support? In this case, being picky will serve you better.

Then there is a difference between writing as a hobby and writing professionally; writing an account for family and friends and writing for greater publication. How professional do you want your end product to be? If you simply enjoy the act of writing or plan to keep your work to yourself or your smaller sphere, you don’t need to worry so much about the professionalism of the group. But if you have longer-term goals beyond personal satisfaction, then you most definitely should.

The limitations of the online world

Then there are the usual limitations and caveats that pertain to online social interaction: the difficulty of determining tone; communication snafus because of the limitations of virtual conversation; having to vet each community and interaction (an investment of time and frustration if it doesn’t work out); the inevitable (seemingly) trolls. Sometimes, finding a local, real-time writing community is your best bet.

I admit this is my bias. You can’t go wrong looking for writing workshops and classes in your local community. Classes typically specify the kinds of writing, genre, and levels of ability appropriate for the class, putting you miles ahead in finding folks who are in the same writing boat as you. And you’ll have a skilled facilitator watching out for group dynamics and answering all of your novice and non-novice questions.

Bottom Line

When you join an online writing community, you always need to ask yourself what you want from this group. Is it mutual support? Are you looking for fun and relatable writing memes? Do you have specific questions about the craft or your genre? All of these are legitimate reasons for seeking community, but differ substantially. And while there is overlap—I have yet to meet a writing community that doesn’t love fun writing memes, for example—the levels of experience and often wildly different writing goals mean that big groups offer uneven expertise for the serious-minded.

You may, however, connect with serious-minded writers in that larger group. Like every other valuable relationship, this typically takes time and effort. But your big group may be a start. Just be mindful of what you are likely to get. And for the love of all that is storytelling, make sure to give the context for any of your questions!

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Want specific feedback about your specific book? A coaching session or book structure intensive may be right for you.

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CC image “Denken/Thinking” courtesy of Sebastiaan ter Burg on Flickr. Some rights reserved.