Supporting mental health and wellness in writing groups

BY SHEILA CAMERON

I’ve been in several writing groups over the past fifteen years, and I feel fortunate that most of them were positive experiences. The rules were clear, people encouraged me, and I felt supported in my growth as a writer.

But a few years ago, when I joined a group to work on a highly personal memoir, I encountered a very different experience. I was forewarned that I would need thick skin to fit in. As a freelance professional editor and an experienced Toastmaster, I was very comfortable with giving and receiving feedback. And none of that helped me in an environment where the structure was unclear, crying was admonished, and my attempts at positive feedback were shut down.

Writers’ groups are vulnerable places, and it can be difficult to share new writing or personal stories. Can the people in your group be trusted to hold your work in confidence? Are they the right people to bear witness to your writing? Do they know how to respond with empathy rather than judgement? These are learned skills.

There are important elements to any successful writing group. Structure and routine help to create feelings of safety. If rules are clear and consistent, people feel more comfortable to share their writing and offer feedback to others. That said, rules need to be flexible—people join groups not only to increase their confidence and improve their writing, but also for social contact with other writers.

How can you ensure that you and your colleagues feel safe, supported, and at ease? Here are a few tips for promoting wellness in any writing group:

• Create a framework for meetings, including expectations for communication. You can post a visible agenda until everyone becomes familiar with it. Start and end on time. Discuss boundaries and helpful ways to hold each other accountable.

• Have a clear plan B in case someone has trouble adhering to a rule (e.g., we’ll start on time, and late writers can join in without interrupting the flow).

• Don’t let chatter detract from the group’s purpose. Make time in the agenda, or at the end of each meeting, for some personal connection.

• If your personal story (e.g., memoir) is very distressing to you, try distancing yourself by writing (or rewriting) scenes in third-person narrative.

• Know your audience. Trust your instincts, and only share when it feels right.

• Provide a content warning if your writing is likely to distress others. Allow members to opt out of reading or listening to your story.

• Provide feedback that is encouraging (feels good) but still constructive (moves the writing forward—which ultimately feels good, too). For example, “I love how you brought this scene to life with sensory details. To build on the strength of that, you could…”

• Don’t try to fix or help the emotional writer. Just be present. Listen. Allow them space to share their story and process their emotions. Then move on with care.

• To provide more objectivity when offering feedback, discuss the “protagonist” or “character” rather than the “author.”

• Be kind! And if you do have a bad experience, get up, dust yourself off, embrace the lessons learned, and carry on with your writing.

Sheila Cameron is a professional editor and longtime member of Editors Canada. As the author of Shine Bright: Live A Supernova Life, Sheila is passionate about raising our collective human consciousness. Visit sheilacameron.ca to learn more.