What You Should (And Shouldn't) Expect From a Writers' Group

Writers' groups, on paper at least, would seem like an ideal place for any aspiring author to go. It's a place you can go to get other people's perspectives on your work, where the feedback is coming from people who are at least familiar with how the writing process works, and where you can gain a sense of community from finding other people who are all working on their own stories. While there might be some differences in approach and opinion, and there will probably be some clashes over style and preference, at the end of the day a writers' group is a great place to be... on paper, at least.

Pun very much intended.

With that said, I find there's a lot of assumptions we make involving these groups... both the ones that get together in meat space, and those that exist primarily online. So I thought I'd take this week to talk about what's reasonable, and what might be setting yourself up for disappointment.

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What You Can Expect

First of all, let's talk about reasonable expectations for a writers' group.

You are probably going to be sharing the room with people who have some pretty wide ranging levels of experience and skill. You'll have the hobbyists who are here to refine their skills and craft, but who really view it as more of a social activity, or who just enjoy being storytellers. They aren't looking to go pro. You'll probably have at least one reporter or former reporter who's hoping to pull a Thomas Harris and step over that line from non-fiction to fiction. You might have an essayist, and probably one or two folks who really love doing research. Chances are good there's at least one writer from the local high school or college scene, and you've got a better-than-even shot that someone is hoping to write a comic book of some variety.

There will more than likely be a sense of camaraderie. Even if the people in your group don't write in the same genre you do, or they prefer a different style and format, there are some experiences that all writers can empathize with. You'll also gain access to a bunch of different writers' brains, and they might spit out ideas that wouldn't have occurred to you, or offer changes that you were too close to the manuscript to see.

What about the bad stuff?

On the other side of the coin, you're going to walk into some egos in any writers' group. I promise you, it's going to happen. You're going to have people who are condescending, people who tell you how they would write your book, and people who get offended that you don't take their suggestions. You'll probably have at least one person dismiss your entire genre as a fad, a waste of time, or trash. Basically the same sort of down-the-nose treatment genre fiction gets in a lot of college classrooms. Depending on the community you may run into folks who lack social skills, hygiene, or who have mistaken this group for a speed-dating service, as well.

It takes all kinds.

What You Shouldn't Expect

Between movies about writing, TV shows featuring authors, and the unreal events we sometimes see in the stories we tell, it's really easy to show up at a writers' group expecting the moon and stars to align in your favor. So let me pop a couple of bubbles, and hopefully save folks a lot of time, and a lot of frustration.

Hello? Career defining moment, are you here?

You are not going to meet an agent in your writers' group. You are not going to meet a really successful author at your group, and have them introduce you to their agent. While there is a permutation of events where this is technically possible, if you're banking on those odds you should be buying lottery tickets instead, because the Powerball will be a cakewalk compared to making that other scenario come to pass.

Get all those Cinderella stories out of your head. You show up to a writers' group because you're looking for feedback, and because you want to improve your skills. You're not getting discovered by the ten other scribblers who meet in the library community room on the weekend.

While we're on the subject, you're probably not going to find a lot of good information about going from writing the manuscript to getting published, or selling copies once you are published. You might get lucky (especially if you're in an online group rather than an in-person one), but you're just as likely to get bad or outdated advice as you are anything useful; the writing equivalent of your grandparents telling you to dress up nice and go fill out a physical application, then talk to the store manager to get a job in the digital economy.

Lastly, don't expect a writers' group to utterly remake you as a writer, or to discover the secret you've been looking for. Folks might be talented, experienced, or offer good suggestions, but ultimately these meetings are just support groups for folks who tell stories. They keep you on task, and hold you at least a little bit accountable. They'll offer community, and sometimes a helpful trick here and there, but it's still on you to do the work, submit the story, network, etc., etc.

Just keep that in mind when you seek out a group. Make sure you're going there for the right reasons, and that you aren't looking for something you're not going to find. Also, if you're shopping for an online writers' group, beware of ANYONE offering to publish you. Always do your research, and make sure you're not about to get taken for a ride.

Like, Follow, and Come Back Again!

That's all for this week's Craft of Writing! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my cat noir novel Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, or my most recent short story collection The Rejects!

 

And to stay on top of all my latest news and releases, collected once a week, make sure you subscribe to The Literary Mercenary's mailing list. 

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!

Conversations With Joy Ward (My Latest Interview on "Marked Territory")

Way back when I first started this blog I warned folks that I'd occasionally just talk about something that's going on in my career, or with one of my new releases. This is one of those weeks. And given that I'm currently attempting to get several flocks of ducks into parade formation, and an interview I've been waiting to drop for a while finally went up, I wanted to share this with all my readers out there!

For folks who aren't in the know, Eric Flint's Ring of Fire Press published my last novel Marked Territory, and this is an interview I did a few months ago talking about what I was up to, what was coming out, and where things were likely to go from here concerning my output. And while at the time of the interview I was only about 56k into the sequel (whose name shall go unspoken for now), I can tell you that it is currently complete!

And, as always, if you haven't subscribed to my weekly newsletter yet, consider doing that so you don't miss any updates!

For Folks Who Want To See More

There is one other thing I wanted to address this week, since this is my Business of Writing installment. Because we all know that the best way to support an author is to buy their books (and the second best way is to go to their Patreon and pledge, which you can do at The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page if you feel so inclined). However, when we're talking about individuals who are writing a series, and when that series is going through a more traditional publisher, this becomes even more important.

Publishers, like any business, want to make money. So while quality of the book is always going to be a consideration, there are lots of well-written, imaginative, interesting, insightful books out there that just don't move copies. And if you want to write a sequel to a book that underperformed, that's going to be a very tough sell to your editors since they're obligated to keep at least one eye on the company's bottom line.

It sold how many copies last quarter? Eeeeeeh...

I say this because I really like Leo as a character, and I'd like to write at least a few more of his adventures. And minor spoiler, I introduced a really fun character in the sequel that I think I could get some spin-offs out of if folks are really behind it... but I won't be able to make that a reality unless I've got the sales numbers on my side.

That's where you come in.

If you like novels about cats, noir mysteries, or both, go buy yourself a copy of Marked Territory. If you already have a copy, leave a rating and a review on any site you can (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, I'm not picky!). If you can't afford a copy, or it's not your jam but you still want to help, share a link on your social media. Recommend it to your friends, toss it onto Twitter, let your aunt with the two Maine coon cats know this should be something she should take a look at.

There's only so many times I can share links to my own work (without getting kicked out of Facebook groups and banned from subreddits, anyway), so I sort of depend on readers like you to help me spread the word. And if you're really looking for something fun and different to ride out the pandemic with until it's time to get your shot, I think you could do a lot worse than walking down Leo's alley and following him on his debut novel.

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned!

That's all for this week's Business of Writing! If you'd like to see more of my work, take a look at my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my noir thriller Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife as well as my recent collection The Rejects!

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!

It Is Always Better To Write The Thing!

One of my favorite things to do with fellow authors and writers is to sit down and hash out story ideas. Whether I'm the one bouncing the ball, or I'm the wall returning the serves, there's something satisfying about the collaborative process. Being in the swirling guts of a story nebula as it swells, collapses, and goes through the process of exploding out into a galaxy of ideas and possibilities never gets old.

And this is just the beginning!

There is something that always interrupts this process, though. A knee jerk habit that crops up no matter one's skill, talent, past success, or quality of concept; the desire to say, "Ugh, why bother?"

Sometimes you say it because the project seems overwhelmingly big. Sometimes you say it because it's "too similar" to a classic piece of fiction that already exists. Sometimes you say it because you're just some nobody tinkering on a word processor; who's going to want to read this thing even if you manage to finish it?

To all of these questions I say, "Shut up!" Because it is always better to write the thing.

Also, before we move on, remember to sign up for my weekly newsletter if you want to stay on top of all my releases!

It's Your Story, So Tell It Already!

Writing, as an activity, is good for us. It exercises the mind, it sharpens our vocabulary, and it provides practice in storytelling. It can often be therapeutic, and as frustrating as the endeavor sometimes is, most of us who sit down to it will come back for more sooner rather than later.

Easy when you don't know how, and very difficult when you do.

Don't get me wrong, having doubts is a completely natural part of the process. As long as you have expectations of yourself, of your work, or of your writing, there's always going to be that little voice that crops up to naysay you. But if you can't develop a zen attitude about just doing the work for the work's own sake (in case you didn't check the name of my blog, I sure as hell don't have that), then there is another phrase you should adopt to use as a shield against these negative influences.

"But what if?"

When that voice insists that your audience will find your story boring and derivative, ask, "But what if they don't?" Especially if you consider that your audience A) might not be reading beneath the surface level, or B) might find your take on the material inspired. When that voice tells you that nobody's going to read it, ask, "But what if they do?" Because while it's just as possible that no one reads your story but a few close friends, it's equally possible that the algorithm blesses you, and your story explodes with thousands (or even hundreds of thousands) of readers discovering you while they dig through the Internet looking for something new to consume.

And when that voice asks you what you're going to do if you don't finish this project, ask in return, "But what if I do?"

You Have Nothing To Lose (And Everything To Gain)

Writing isn't easy. Writing to achieve specific goals (notoriety, financial independence, invitations as a guest to conventions, etc.) is even tougher. And there is no guarantee that when you set out on this journey that it's going to turn out the way you want it to. You might run into plot complications that require big, structural changes. You might have trouble firing up audience enthusiasm. This may not be the book that receives big critical acclaim, wins you an award, or gets you crowned the Next Big Thing by a particular fandom.

But you know what else? Not writing the story guarantees none of those things will happen.

Can't win if you don't play, right?

And even if this isn't the throw that hits the bullseye, it might be the project that helps you calibrate your aim. The one that lets you find your voice. The one that gets you noticed in an unexpected way, and leads you to the next project that makes all your dreams come true.

But you aren't going to get there if you listen to that hissing little naysayer. So shove a crumpled wad of paper into its mouth, put your fingers on the keys, and write the thing already!

Like, Follow, and Come Back Again!

That's all for this week's Craft of Writing! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my cat noir novel Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, or my most recent short story collection The Rejects!

 

And to stay on top of all my latest news and releases, collected once a week, make sure you subscribe to The Literary Mercenary's mailing list. 

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!

Uncertainty is The Worst (and The Best) Thing About Being an Author

The most common piece of advice I've heard since the point I decided to become an author (around age 13 or 14, I think it was), is that I need to have a reliable, steady source of income while I do that on the side. It's not that they didn't think I had the chops or determination to crank out books till the day I died, but rather that there's no telling what the market is going to do when it comes to a writer's trade. You might write one book, hit the lottery, and explode! You might spend a decade or two writing shelves worth of novels, only to become an "overnight success" when someone with a big following tells their fans your work is amazing.

And while most advice you get from people with no experience being a writer is basically garbage, there is a lot of truth to this one. Because writers are self-employed now more than ever before in the age of the gig economy, and your income is going to depend almost entirely on the fickle finger of fate. And I'll be the first to tell you that can be both infuriating, and exhilarating.

Pay your fee, take your shot, and hope for the best!

Before we go too much further, if you want to help me negate some of the uncertainty I'm dealing with (and make sure this blog keeps on trucking), consider becoming a Literary Mercenary Patreon patron! Or, if you don't have the spare dosh for that right now, signing up for my weekly newsletter to ensure you don't miss any of my new releases!

Reliability is an Illusion (Unfortunately)

One of the hardest truths there is about being an author is that your entire profession is largely a matter of luck. Talent helps, developing your skill and craft is necessary, networking is good, and gumption goes a long way, but everything you achieve (or don't) basically turns on the fulcrum of luck.

And this is a door that swings both ways.

Sometimes opportunity doesn't bother knocking.

As an example, take the current pandemic. I had spent several years building up a rather large pile of completed work as a ghost blogger, and it was slowly getting approved, ensuring I had a "regular" check to help bolster all the work I do writing novels, RPG supplements, blogs, and all that other nonsense. Then when the plague crashed across the economy, many of my clients put a freeze on approving any more work. Others cancelled projects (some of which I'd turned in weeks or months before), and still others just ghosted entirely, cancelling their orders and vanishing.

So practically overnight I went from a ghost writer who is hoping to one day quit that job to write novels and RPGs full time, to suddenly relying very much on my body of creative work to make up the difference from the "safe" clients who'd left me hanging.

You know, just like any other job where you're considered an expendable worker, or where the company suddenly takes a nose dive into concrete.

That same zeitgeist can go the other way, as well, putting a surprising amount of good fortune in my pocket when I didn't expect it to be there. For example, a few months back my article Partners and Polycules: Polyamorous Designations Based Off Dungeons and Dragons Dice was randomly shared on a pretty wide scale thanks to a single mention on a subreddit. It picked up several thousand reads, and quickly rocketed up to the front page of my most-read pieces ever on Vocal, suddenly easing my difficulties covering bills that month. In the early summer of 2020 Drive Thru RPG had a big sale on a huge number of World of Darkness game supplements, and overnight my entire 100 Kinfolk project that I'd written for Werewolf: The Apocalypse jumped in sales, pushing my earnings in royalties over $200 for the first (and so far only) time since I started getting a cut of my RPG earnings. I haven't gotten my first check for my noir mystery novel Marked Territory yet, but it's entirely possible that a mystery with a Maine Coon alley cat trying to figure out why a pack of stray dogs is putting the squeeze on a church mouse and her community sold far better than I expected it to.

And one of the hard truths of this job is that while you can tell the story, talk about the story, and try to spread the word, so much of whether or not you succeed is actually out of your hands.

You Can Only Do What You Can Do

Hitting the jackpot as a writer is basically being a professional gambler. You need to read the trends in fiction, understand your audience, learn to recognize interest, figure out what the social media algorithm wants to see from you, and do what you can to gather support from the community. But even if you crunch all the numbers, put your links in the right place, show up to interviews, do readings for your audience, at the end of the day you're basically just gambling. Every book, every blog, every supplement, every article is just one more roll of the dice.

As Captain Picard says, it's possible to do everything right and still fail, when all is said and done.

Even if the odds are on your side, there's no guaranteeing you're going to win. And even if the odds are against you, there's no guaranteeing you're going to lose. The best you can do is put the words on the page in the most compelling way you can, do everything to get it in front of the audience's eyes you can think of, and hope for the best.

Never depend on luck to see you through. At the same time, understand that it is often pure, unadulterated chance that happens to be what makes a book, blog, video, etc. popular. And getting struck by lightning ain't an easy thing to do.

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned!

That's all for this week's Business of Writing! If you'd like to see more of my work, take a look at my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my noir thriller Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife as well as my recent collection The Rejects!

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!