Let’s Get Together:

Creating a Community of
Writers in the Digital Age
Why create a
community?
• Motivation
• Feedback
• Opportunity to
critique others
• Support and
Encouragement
• Networking
• Marketing
The Story of a
Writing Group
Abel Keogh
 Tips for Creating
In-Person Writing
Community
 1. Keep the group focused
around a similar topic

2. Keep the in-person

group small (5-6 people)

3. Set guidelines for

submission, review of writing
 4. Hold regular meetings

5. Set time limit for in-

person feedback

6. Create an online space for

your writing group
Tips for Creating
Online Writing
Community
 1. Create a private
Facebook group

2. Define the purpose of

the group

3. Assign two admins to

help moderate the group
4. Define the rules of the
online group

5. Be careful of how large

the group gets

6. Create rules about

submitting critiques
Ryan Decaria
 1. Hold synchronous
meetings online

• Meet online using private Google

Hangouts on Air
• Submit writing prior to meeting
• Use Google Docs with suggest
permissions
 2. Find your tribe on
Facebook

3. Locate a relevant
Goodreads group

4. Join The League of Utah

Writers
 5. Writing Conferences

• League of Utah Writers conferences

• FyreCon (fyrecon.com)
• Storymakers Conferences
• Life the Universe and 

Everything (LTUE.net)
• Kanab Self-Publishing Conference
• Writing & Illustrating for Young
Readers Conference
Tips for Avoiding
Potential
Drawbacks
 1. Tell the truth

2. Be open to criticism

3. Give good notes, and 


ask for them.
What does good feedback
look like?
When giving feedback, make sure
to include:
• What is missing
• What isn’t clear
• What doesn’t make sense
• What just doesn’t work
 7 Great Online Writing
Communities

1. Absolute Write Water

Cooler
2. Agentquery Connect
3. Bookrix
4. Critique Circle
5. Figment
6. Hatrack River Writer’s
Workshop
7. NaNoWriMo