We have talked before about the signs that your writing group is bad for you but what if your group is a diamond in the rough? Here is our take on the signs that your writing group is a treasure to value.

1. You feel fully included immediately.

One surefire sign that your writing group is a gem is how quickly they make you feel like a valued member of the group. Some groups are cautious about newcomers while others (the best groups) treat you like an old friend the moment they learn your name.

There is little worse than going to a group only to be left until last and served the dregs of everyone’s enthusiasm. That’s a sign that they value you about as much as something they scraped off their shoe.

Just as bad is a group that puts the spotlight on you right at the start. You feel like you are in a high-pressure interview for membership. No one needs an interrogation when they first arrive.

A good group will offer you a chance to participate the moment you find your feet. They will invite you to share early on in proceedings but understand if you would prefer to wait. Getting that right is a balancing act at best. Nevertheless, the best groups do their utmost to get this right.

2. Your writing is improving.

Your writing group might be a little rough around the edges. Your group might even have a little more drama than you might like. However, you cannot argue with results – your writing has started to dramatically improve.

At the end of the day, anything that helps you write (and improve) is good. A group is worth holding on to for as long as you feel you are growing as a writer being there.

3. You frequently come away with actionable insights.

Actionable insights are something you did not know before or had not seen before that you can act on as soon as you get back to writing. No matter if your group is a chaotic mess, a drama factory, or the most surreal of experiences – if you come away with actionable insights they must be doing something right.

As long as the social cost (the rough edges) is worth paying for what you take away, your writing group is probably worth holding on to (at least for now).

Of course, if you can get more actionable insights from another group that is a different matter.

4. Meeting your group leaves you energised for more writing

Anything that gets you writing is good; anything that stops you writing is bad. It really is that simple. A treasure of a writing group is one that makes you feel more inclined to write simply by being with them.

Your writing group absolutely must be something that energises you to get writing. If you come home excited to get back to writing, the group is golden. A writing group that turbocharges your motivation is worth holding onto with both hands.

A long time ago, I found myself in a writing group where I did progressively less and less writing as the group assigned me increasingly demanding support tasks. My writing was markedly better and more frequent when I parted ways with them.

These days it is my pleasure to help support writing groups as the chair of Thanet Creative. I do far more support in this role than ever before. The difference is that I am able to enjoy the work and still find time to write.

5. There is no toxicity in the average group meeting

There is no accounting for people. Even the best groups will be visited by a trouble maker or an over-inflated ego sooner or later. The real test is how the organisers deal with it.

Those rare occurrences aside, your writing group is a gem if it has managed to stay free of any toxic traits. (More on those here). A writing group that keeps you safe from elements that damage your will to write is a good group.

Toxic environments are almost always terrible for you. Toxin-free groups are always miles better.

Over to you

If you are looking for a local writing group, check out our guides: Writing Groups in Thanet and Writing Groups in Kent.

Have we missed anything, are there other signs of a good writing group? Let us know in the comments below.

Are you part of a writing group? What is it about the group that appeals to you? Leave a comment and let us know about your group.