How Writing Groups Helped Bring Blood & Wolf to Life

Blood & Wolf by Judith Vila

Writing a novel is definitely a lonely journey--I know because, writing as Judith Vila, I just released my gothic/romance/mystery/horror mashup, Blood & Wolf. And from the early days of playing with the concept in my head to this moment when the book is in the hands of lovely readers, I remember often feeling like I was all by myself.

But the truth is: I wasn't alone. Yes, the responsibilities of writing, revising, testing and re-writing again are on me. Yet, throughout my journey, writing communities and groups fueled my progress, and I mean everything: skills and craft, energy and motivation, and more.

Since I created this blog to talk about writing groups, I thought my case study might be helpful to others. So, in this post, I'll highlight how groups (yup, I'm part of more than one) helped me, with the hope that you'll find circles who will support you with the oomph you need to cross your personal work-in-progress finish line.

Writing Communities to Find Your Writing Zone

I didn't start out knowing that I wanted to write a gothic romance. Instead I produced my nonfiction works (The Write Group and From Draft to Craft) and toyed with creative stories. But after experimenting with multiple drafts of a contemporary mystery, I finally admitted to myself that my work wasn't satisfying and launched my self-discovery adventure.

As one aspect of this adventure, I joined or followed a variety of groups on Bluesky, Discord, Facebook, and Reddit, and participated actively. I made new contacts--interesting folks--some authors and some readers--who freely discussed their favorite books, movies and writing/reading inspo and disappointments. I appreciated their conversations because it helped me to better understand what stories intrigued me.

A Writing Group for Accountability

From the first outline through the multiple drafts of Blood & Wolf, I belonged to an accountability group. Each week I'd share my progress on my goals for the past week and set new goals for the coming week. Sometimes I celebrated an achievement, yippee! But full disclosure: there were plenty of times when I fell off the writing wagon and didn't reach whatever target I had aimed for. No matter. I used the board to document it all and was I blessed! Other members chimed in with interest and encouragement--nothing judgy. They'd also share their own goals for the week so I could take my turn and cheer them on.

I'm very grateful to the wonderful accountability group members who provided a unique kind of support that’s hard to find. They helped me maintain my momentum and allowed me to contribute a little to their achievements. (I also wrote a Substack post about my accountability group, HERE.)

Writing Circles for Feedback

One of the biggest challenges for any writer is knowing if your work resonates with readers. Since gothic romance was somewhat uncharted territory for me as an author, I was especially curious what readers might think about my work. Yet, I was terrified to allow anyone to read my material.

Lucky for me, I had two critique circles and was actively engaged with the members. And with a little help (read how I value writing coaches here), I was finally able to share selected parts of Blood & Wolf for which I had specific concerns and needed the eyes of other writers to consider my questions. I was met with kindness and generosity! Those writers answered my questions and spoke to me from their own experiences. Some even said they wanted to read more.

Wow! Up to that moment, I might have abandoned the manuscript altogether but when I heard people wanted to read more, well, I doubled down to finish my work and get the entire manuscript in front of a couple of beta readers.

Writing Groups Are Your Ally

All this to say, writing groups transformed my experience of writing Blood & Wolf. Taken together, they provided motivation, honest feedback, learning opportunities, and a supportive network. I think any beginner fiction writer would get a benefit out of joining some kind of writing group--whether you're looking to test ideas, or develop in your craft, or simply keep on going. Whatever you need, there's a group (or multiple opportunities) for you out there and I hope you find what works for you, so that I can read your book one day!

---

Let me know in the comments if you've had an experience with a writing group that helped you in your work!