It’s hard to read the label when you’re standing inside the bottle. That’s why nearly all successful authors are in a writer’s group. Whether it’s Tolkien and C.S. Lewis in an English pub talking about fantasy stories or a socially distanced mastermind group meeting on Zoom, writers improve when they’re in a community.

But many beginning writers aren’t in a group. The most common excuse is, “There’s no writer’s group near me,” or “I don’t know how to start one.”

I spoke with Eva Marie Everson, a writer and critique group expert who can help you move past those excuses.

She is a multiple award-winning CBA bestselling author of fiction and nonfiction, president of Word Weavers International (founded in 1997), and director of both the Florida and North Georgia Christian Writers Conferences.

How do you address a writer’s excuses for not joining a critique group?

Eva Marie: Let me add another excuse we often hear: “I’m afraid someone will steal my work.”

Thomas: That’s a common one. What readers connect with is not your idea but your voice. There are maybe 100 story ideas in the world, and they’ve all been done. Some say there are only twelve. In Hollywood, there’s basically one. Every successful film follows the same formula. So don’t worry; your idea is not as unique as you think.

Eva Marie: We all have our own ideas and are focused on perfecting them. If I tried to steal every idea I heard, I’d get nothing done.

Once, someone shared an amazing idea with me at a writer’s conference. I said, “This would be so much better if I had come up with it!” We laughed, as it was clearly her idea.

In another instance, I had an adorable idea for a children’s book, but I’m not a children’s book writer. Later, I met a writer whose passion aligned with that concept. I offered it to her. She took it to a publisher, and they’re now considering it as a children’s series. It wasn’t meant for me; it was meant for her.

Thomas: I’ve been giving away novel ideas at conferences and on podcasts for years, and no one has taken me up on one yet. For example, we all know blog platforms let you schedule posts in advance. So imagine a thriller where someone dies but keeps publishing blog posts posthumously, and each one reveals new clues to a mystery. It’s a perfect plot for a suspense novel. So far, no one has run with this idea.

Eva Marie: That sounds like an Alton Gansky novel!

Thomas: My point is that it’s hard to get anyone excited about your idea. Even getting one agent or publisher interested is hard work. So don’t worry about someone stealing your idea in a writing group.

How did you get started with writing groups?

Eva Marie: In early 1997, I was writing for a children’s ministry at a megachurch. Each week, the director would tell me the theme, I’d write a skit, he’d edit, I’d revise, and it would go to the actors. Around that time, someone told me a writers group was forming at the church, and I should go. I had the address, started driving there, and got lost. I gave up and stopped by a friend’s house for coffee instead.

While I was there, she insisted I go and drew me a map on a napkin. I was only two streets away. So I went. I was the fifth person to arrive. As a group, we talked about helping each other and decided to meet monthly. It was a rough start, but we grew to around ten or twelve people.

Then, Brian Davis, a YA speculative fiction author, visited our group, and he shared a simple idea that eventually transformed everything.

After Brian’s visit, attendance began to decline. One month, only two of us were there. I already had one book published and was wondering whether the group was worth continuing.

Then, I had what I call my “Constantine moment.” I was driving on I-4 in Orlando but was stopped in traffic. The sun hit the hood of my car, forming a cross. At that moment, everything clicked. Brian’s idea came back to me, and I felt God laying out the plan.

That night, I called everyone who had ever attended. I told them we were starting fresh. Brian’s idea was a critique method we now call the “sandwich method.” Each writer brings up to 1,500 words. The person to their right reads the piece. The person to their left leads the critique. They start with a positive comment, followed by constructive feedback, and end with another positive comment.

I assigned roles. I became president. Others became vice president, treasurer, etc. We had no money but knew we’d eventually need dues. I laid it all out and thought, “This is insane.” But by the next meeting, attendance had doubled. We kept growing, attracting writers from across the state. Agents and editors began noticing.

Eventually, Jerry Jenkins stepped in, helped us expand nationwide, and supported us financially. Once we were established, he handed it back to us. That was nearly 24 years ago. We called the group Word Weavers, and now have over 1,000 members, in-person and online critique groups, and we run our own writers conference. It’s all because we followed the vision God gave us.

Thomas: I love that the focus was always on craft. Some writers groups bring in speakers, but you can get the same content from podcasts. The real value of a group is the critique of writers helping each other improve. That’s what the Inklings did. C.S. Lewis loved Tolkien’s work and gave him a raving endorsement. Tolkien didn’t like The Chronicles of Narnia, but that honesty made both of them better writers.

Eva Marie: We get stuck in our own heads sometimes. Just this morning, in my online group, I was struggling with a sentence. I’d looked at it repeatedly. But someone in the group immediately saw the issue and suggested a simple fix that hadn’t occurred to me.

What would you say to a person who can’t find a writers group?

Eva Marie: Not every group fits every writer, and that’s okay. In traditional in-person groups, you’re likely to find people writing in a variety of genres. Eventually, you’ll find someone whose critique you truly value.

For years, I had a group member who nitpicked everything. At first, it drove me nuts. But then I realized how much I needed that detailed critique. You need people who can catch both big-picture issues and the small things, like when you’ve switched tenses or used the wrong punctuation.

Thomas: But you also need to be careful who you’re getting advice from. Steve Laube tells the story of a writer who submitted a sci-fi novel, and Steve liked it. But before sending the full manuscript, the author took it to a critique group of romance writers. They told him to make the captain more emotional and to add more drama. He took their advice and ruined the story. Readers of military science fiction don’t want Captain Kirk wrestling with his emotions; they want a leader who acts decisively.

Eva Marie: That’s why we offer genre-specific online groups in Word Weavers. Whether it’s romance, speculative fiction, children’s books, or even article writing, we’ll help you find or form a group in your genre. Romance writers know what works for romance. The same is true for every genre.

We also tell members not to critique outside their genre. Stick to technical feedback if you don’t understand the content. Someone else in the group will know the genre and offer input there. But if you’re the only medical thriller writer in a group of romance writers, you may need to find a second group that understands your audience.

Thomas: A good sentence is a good sentence, regardless of genre, but a good story depends entirely on audience expectations. Someone reading Amish fiction is probably looking for a peaceful, slow-paced escape from a chaotic world. They’re not looking for zombies to attack the village or explosions outside the barn. Knowing your genre and understanding your readers is key. That’s why macro edits from someone in your genre are so important.

Eva Marie: That’s why we’re constantly focused on education at Word Weavers. We have a private Facebook group where we share educational content daily, including blogs, podcasts, and articles covering all genres. If you’re writing romance, great. If you’re writing contemporary women’s fiction, there’s something for you. If you’re writing devotionals or nonfiction that includes Scripture, we have resources for that, too.

We also include educational material in our monthly newsletter. The goal is always to improve the craft.

Thomas: I couldn’t agree more. Even if your writers group doesn’t host regular teachings, you should be learning. Read books on craft. You can buy Stephen King’s On Writing for less than $20. That’s an unbelievable bargain for what you get.

The more you learn, the better you’ll be at interpreting critique. Not all feedback is good. Some people don’t know what they’re talking about, and they don’t know that they don’t know.

Eva Marie: That’s true. You have to consider the source. Evaluate their credentials and consider what they’ve written. Don’t hand your manuscript to your seventh-grade grammar teacher expecting good writing advice. Modern writing is conversational and inviting, not academic.

Our goal at Word Weavers is to help authors grow with the times while constantly honing their craft. Publishing standards evolve, too. What worked 50 years ago may not work now.

Thomas: One genre that’s out of style now is hagiography. They were “biographies” of Christian heroes that omit their flaws, sins, and struggles. Those were big in the 90s but have fallen out of favor. Readers today want transparency. They want to see the struggles. But that pendulum will swing again. I predict in 10 or 15 years, hagiographies will come back into fashion.

What’s your advice for a writer attending their first Word Weavers meeting?

Eva Marie: Just show up and observe. At Word Weavers, we let you attend two meetings before deciding whether to join. You don’t have to critique or be critiqued. You can just watch.

The beauty of a group like ours is that you give and receive. Sometimes, you’ll say something to one person that another person needs to hear. That kind of organic learning is powerful. After two visits, we ask you to make a decision. We’re not for everyone, and that’s okay. But if we are for you, you’ll know.

Thomas: Word Weavers isn’t the only option. ACFW has local chapters. Some churches have writers groups.

Eva Marie: Plus, you can join more than one group. You’ll get different things from each one. Just remember that when seven people in a group say the same thing about your paragraph, you might want to rethink it.

Thomas: Different groups serve different purposes. I run mastermind groups focused on the business side of marketing, sales, and publishing strategy. We don’t cover craft. But Word Weavers does, and that makes you a great complement to what we offer.

Eva Marie: And when our members are ready for marketing, publishing, or self-publishing, we refer them to experts like you. That next step is just as important.

How did you shift to online groups?

Eva Marie: In 2019, Some of our Word Weavers chapters wanted to create genre-specific focus groups, like a separate meeting for novelists. In Orlando, we had a fiction group that met monthly. One member moved to Ohio, and we were really going to miss her. Around the same time, I was speaking to a friend in Israel over Skype and thought, “Why can’t we just Skype her in?”

So we did.

Then, at the Florida Christian Writers Conference, which Word Weavers owns, I was telling co-director Mark Hancock about this. Bruce Brady overheard us and said, “I think you should do this for other members, too.” I asked if he wanted to head it up, and he said yes.

Bruce helped us launch Word Weavers online. We grew so quickly we needed an assistant. Then Bruce became seriously ill, and Susan Simpson stepped up to lead. She became essential, especially after Bruce passed away. We now have nearly 50 online groups.

At this point, we’ve grown as much as we can. We need trained leaders and mentors to do this well, so we’ve capped growth. If we don’t have a spot right away, we’ll hold your membership fee and place you when space opens up.

Thomas: So you’ve grown to your capacity. If someone can’t find space in a Word Weavers group, there are still lots of options. The Christian Writers Market Guide is a directory of writer groups, conferences, publishers, and more. It helps you stay informed as editors and agents move around the industry. You can learn more at ChristianWritersMarketGuide.com.

Thomas: One benefit of paying for a group is that they tend to have better longevity. Free groups often fade when the leader gets too busy, which usually means they became a successful writer.

Eva Marie: And when people pay for something, they value it more.

I remember loaning a young woman a very expensive blazer for a job interview. She got the job, and when I saw her car, the blazer was wadded up on the floor, covered in dirt. She hadn’t paid for it, so she didn’t value it. That really stuck with me.

When we decided to charge dues, my fear was that people would leave. Instead, they saw that it had value, and they stayed. We’re a nonprofit, so we don’t hoard the funds. We use our funds to send members to conferences; most often, we send people who’ve done the work but can’t afford to go. We also offer scholarships to our own conferences and others.

When we charge $45 a year for membership, people treat it differently. And if you attend our Florida Christian Writers Conference, that $45 gets you a $50 discount.

Thomas: That’s a great return on investment. And like the Bible says, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Investing in your writing career, whether it’s a book on craft, a group membership, or a conference, is worth it.

Connect with Eva Marie Everson at her website, EvaMarieEversonAuthor.com or on Instagram or Facebook.

Find a critique group at Word Weavers International.

• Word-Weavers.com
• EvaMarieEversonAuthor.com
• EvaMarieEverson (Instagram)
• Eva Marie Everson (Facebook)
• @EvaMarieEverson (Twitter)

Sponsor: Christian Writers Market Guide

The Christian Writers Market Guide 2021 is the most comprehensive and highly recommended resource on the market for finding an agent, an editor, a publisher, a publicist, a writing coach, or a place to sell whatever you are writing. Wherever you are on the writing spectrum–from beginner to seasoned professional–the Guide will help you find what you are looking for. Over 1,000 curated listings, including more than 200 book publishers, 150 periodical publishers, 40 agents, 200 freelance editors and designers, podcasts, and much more. Includes a denominational index.

You can get it in print or online. 

Related Episodes

• How to Become a Better Novelist with Brad Pauquette
• How to Start a Writers Group With Sharon Tedford
• How to Start a Local Writers Group
• Why Mastermind Groups Give Bestselling Authors an Edge and How to Start One
• How to Work With Fellow Authors To Sell More Books