The Tuesday Afternoon Group

Every two weeks I read something I’ve written to a small group of other writers. When I am done reading, there is silence while the other writers note their comments and suggestions. Then, after what seems like long minutes, the group leader asks, “who would like to start?” One after the other says what they will – here and there, agreeing with each other, zeroing in on phrases that got caught in the door.

The group is very kind but not without solid critique. It is a skill to be both kind and an effective critic but the people in my writing group are both. I am not always. After a while, though, after reading many pages of other writers’ first drafts, the ones where the words become scrambled eggs on their way to the page, I have learned to be more careful, more exact in my questions, more precise in naming what I like and where a piece could add muscle.

I write pieces just for this group. And usually, I write them the day before. All day yesterday I puzzled over what to write – an essay, a story, maybe a long poem – nothing came to mind. I write short stories but not often because they are very hard to write and take days and months to walk around and reconfigure – like rearranging furniture in a dollhouse. So, I decided to write the simplest thing – a description of my day, of Sunday.

I started this morning while I drank a second cup of coffee in bed. It was overcast, very gray, and raining. The essay started with yesterday morning and ran through the night and, as is often the case, it ended up saying things I didn’t know I thought. It is about age and change and adjusting one’s life to new times and conditions and situations out of one’s control. And, ultimately, though it didn’t start out that way – it is about love.

I wouldn’t have written the essay without the writing group breathing down my neck. And now I read it and think ‘this is a perfect essay’ which, of course, it isn’t, but it feels solid and handsome like a well-knit pair of thick wool socks. So, I am glad for my Tuesday group and trust them with this piece. For better or worse, I know they’ll take care of me as a writer.

______________________________

Red Oak Writing is the organization sponsoring the writing group I work with as well as many others. Their web page outlines all the options. If you are serious about your writing and want to develop your skill, a critique group is a tremendous resource.