Writing with Community: Why You Should Start a Writing Club

Recently, I was reading the chapter on AI in my English 102 textbook, They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. When talking about how AI should and shouldn't be used in academic writing, Graff and Birkenstein say, "...these sophisticated bots can also...keep you company during a long slog of writing, breaking through the isolation of the writing process and offering stimulating feedback that can sharpen your focus." (Chapter Nineteen: "Help Me Understand...", page 299.)

The rest of the chapter held several more good insights I appreciate and ideas I don't agree with, but that line specifically caught my attention. Graff and Birkenstein bring up the idea that AI bots like Chat GPT are always right there, ready to pitch in however you want, even at two in the morning. But if you think about it, is this real company? Is an AI bot actually nourishing your writing process? If you've ever tried to use Chat GPT as company, it is always ready to pitch in. But what it really does is spoon feed you just what you want to hear. It's always ready to tell you you're doing great, it isn't your fault, you aren't alone. It's sickeningly addictive to hear never ending praise.

But is that really what your writing needs? Do you need to be told, over and over, that your writing is good, you're amazing, and you're doing great? Does criticism need to be thickly padded in "just a suggestion," "you don't have to do this if you don't want to," and "feel free to leave it the way it is," never actually letting you realize you can improve? Even worse, do you want to be pasting your writing into a machine that tells you you're fantastic and then turns around and spits it back out for someone else to benefit from?

At some point, you have to choose. You have to decide if you're going to surround yourself with bots (and people) who will pat you on the back and tell you you're a good little writer or real, genuine feedback. Real feedback from real people is infinitely more rewarding than praise from any bot. Real people tell you how the writing made them feel, how they reacted, what parts kept them interested and where they felt like it was dragging on. They can still give correction without offending you, but it's more thought out, and they're ready to really tell you what they think will help, how it'll feel more real or more engaging.

In the 1930s, AI writing "help" was not an issue. However, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and several other writers still saw the need for real human encouragement and critique. They didn't know it, but the Inklings (their writing group) would go down in history, and their books would be renowned for decades. So why shouldn't we do the same, in a world where publishing can be DIY and real, honest, dedicated authors are dwindling?

I have the privilege of being in two writing clubs. I pay to be a part of the Habit, an online group of young writers hosted by Jonathan Rogers of the Rabbit Room where we have classes based on books, talk about writing, share our victories and struggles, and do a fair amount of goofing off. I'm also the president of the Creative Writing and Illustration Club at my homeschool co-op, and we get together about once a month to do activities and play games related to writing.

But what if you can't pay for a club, you don't go to a co-op, or your school doesn't have a Creative Writing Club?

Well, what's stopping you from starting one?

It's my personal opinion that nearly everyone has a writer somewhere in them. Between journal entries, blogs, biographies, stories, textbooks, lesson plans, coding, papers on whatever you're passionate about, and a million other things, almost everyone I've met has enjoyed writing something at some point. Even if the people you know don't seem to really be writers, there are still writers wherever you are if you're looking for them. (Seriously, we're everywhere.) You and your friends can eat cookies and brainstorm at your house or you can put up flyers and host a three-hour writing session at your local library. Whether it's more serious or just for fun, starting your own writing club is an amazing way to get connected with other writers and enjoy the actual human community God has given us.

The club at my school does a lot of fun activities, and as I continue to encourage people to write in community, I'll hopefully be posting blog posts about activities we do. I'll also be adding resources you can do with a group or on your own under the "resources" tab if you're a member of this site. Look out for all that - but in the meantime, find some friends and start a club!