The 12 Week Year for Writers

CHAPTER 6THE WEEKLY WRITING GROUP

Another element of the 12 Week Year strategy for process control is the Weekly Accountability Meeting, or as I'll call it here, the Weekly Writing Group. The primary goals of this meeting are to provide peer support and to foster personal accountability. For writers, the Weekly Writing Group builds on the original concept by including fellow writers and, in some cases, by expanding the goals of the group to include sharing feedback and group “writing dates.” These weekly meetings are one of the most powerful tools writers have for holding themselves accountable, staying motivated, and getting their writing done.

WHY ARE WRITING GROUPS SO IMPORTANT?

As I noted in Chapter 1, writing tends to be a lonely business. Not only does writing require extended periods of uninterrupted peace and quiet, but many (most?) writers prefer working alone and feel comfortable without a lot of social interaction. Even so, like all people who work for long periods of time by themselves, writers are prone to a host of isolation-related maladies.

For starters, research has found that loneliness can be bad for your health. Loneliness not only leads to higher rates of depression, but according to a review of the scientific literature by BYU psychology professor Julianne Holt-Lunstad, “There is robust evidence that social isolation and loneliness significantly increased risk for premature mortality, and the magnitude of the risk exceeds that of many leading health ...