Simone Biles is amazing, right? Her incredible gymnastic grace is beautiful to behold. And this will sound a little weird, but I recently watched a video of her performance at the Olympic trials, and when she did a kind of split move as part of her routine, I started thinking about writers and writing groups.
I’ll back up a minute. This July, you and I explored the three types of writing groups. We started with critique circles, moved onto accountability groups, and then looked at write-in groups. We even discussed how a group can promise one thing yet deliver the experience of another type of group.
Simone ties in because her split move was one powerful single movement, yet her legs went in different directions. That prompted me to think about you choosing your writing group type. Can you move forward with power, yet choose different types?
Maybe you feel pulled to a group that will help you stay on track, yet at the same time you’re itching for feedback. Or you’re looking to hang out with a writing crowd, while needing support to form a new author-related habit.
When I’ve tried to decide between circles, I’ve felt like I’m staring at an array of truffles behind the glass counter at Godiva’s. Drawn by intense notes of cocoa wafting in the air, I stare at all the enticing offerings. The pink sugar sparkles on one glossy mound catch my eye, while a fine dusting of red cocoa on a luscious velvety chocolate shell sends my mouth watering. How to choose the one that’s best for me?
Well, who said you have to choose just one?
That's right. Going back to Simone’s splits, you can do your own splits by splitting your writerly time into more than one group.
Fact: Many writers I’ve connected with over the years do just that. They get certain benefits out of one circle and get help in another area with another type of group.
Not ‘either/or’ but ‘both’ or even ‘all’.
The drivers for their choices come from what they’re trying to accomplish. Depending on their goals, they customize their participation in one or more types of groups so that they can reach their aims. They know what they want to get out of the different types of groups, and they leverage the benefits to serve their work. Why? Because their work is worth it.
I want Simone Biles to bring home the gold and you to bring home your gold. And joining more than one type of group can help you win.
So how many groups do you belong to now or would you like to belong to? Let me know in the comments below!
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