Keep it regular

If you are running writing groups in class time, you may be tempted to cancel and postpone because of curriculum demands. And, if it is an extra-mural, there may be other commitments that compete for time. But for a writing group to get momentum and have an impact, it needs to meet regularly, and become a ‘given’, a fixed item that learners know will happen, preferably at the same time every week. This develops the ‘habit’ and also demonstrates to learners that this is an important session that is valued and respected.

Be prepared

You need to be absolutely clear about what you are doing and what resources you are using. There are handouts in the downloadable PDFs at the end of chapters that you can either copy or write on the board or make a plan to share somehow.

Be clear on how the session will run. It’s a good idea to try the activities yourself first – this will help you guide the learners on their writing journey. In fact, some people recommend that you do as many of the activities with the learners as you can to show that you, too, are a writer and that you take these writing activities seriously.

Start with a warm-up

If you can, start your writing group session with a short warm-up. This breaks the ice and creates a fun atmosphere. And some of them are creative as well as educational. The previous module gave some examples, and you can always search the internet for more.

Treat participants like writers, not learners

Research has found that it helps for learners to think of themselves as writers – and feel part of a writing community. Be enthusiastic about their writing, and take it seriously. Don’t focus on mistakes – rather on the meaning of what the learners are sharing.

Encourage positive and specific feedback

You need to create a safe space for learners to share. Encourage learners to give positive comments about each other’s work – and encourage them to be specific eg. I liked the way you described xxx, or my favourite line in your poem was xxx because….

The other side of this is that you need to make sure that there is no mocking or laughing at each other’s work (unless it is meant to be funny). Stress to the learners that this is vitally important for the club. If you have a continuous offender, take them aside and chat to them about why they feel the need to bring down others.

Encourage reading

Often the best writers are those who read regularly. So if you find a good story (there are many here on fundza.mobi) encourage your learners to read it like a writer – how did the writer hook our attention from the first paragraph? What techniques did the writer use to make their writing exciting?

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Remember, you want to create a community of keen writers, not a classroom with learners worried about getting things wrong. So focus on having fun and sharing meaning- and share some of your own writing with your learners to encourage them as well. Good luck!