Lois Beebe Hayna Creative Writing Center

Writing Groups

The Hayna Writers have been meeting for more than 35 years. None of us guessed, when we started out in an adult education class, that such a life affirming connection was taking place. Lois was our teacher and when we decided to “meet on our own” she became a member of the group. Lois had one abiding rule that we’ve held maintained all these years. First find something positive to say and then zero in on needs for improvement.

Simple Steps for Creating a Successful Writing Group

  • Set some ground rules (listening and respecting each other’s work)
  • Establish expectations (have something to read each time)
  • Prompts (sometimes a short writing assignment can be helpful to “bond” the group). Soon this exercise will typically fall away as people take themselves more seriously.
  • Keep personal discussion at bay until your writing group is over. Sharing personal stories or sharing a meal is a great way to end a meeting.