Katie's Writing Notes

Do you belong to or lead a writing group?  Have you considered spending multiple sessions to study of a writing issue?

In this post, I’m going to discuss my process for setting up and conducting writing group study sessions, based on my many years of experience designing, developing, and implementing curriculum for adult learners.

To set up these study sessions, here’s my suggested process:

1. As the leader (or member) of a writing group, present the idea and benefits of using part of the sessions to study a writing issue.  If the group agrees, continue with this process

2. As a group, decide how many sessions you will devote to this study, and how much time to take during each session (1 hour is recommended; 2 hours are for complex issues requiring much discussion).  These hours would reduce the time available for the critique functions of any writing group session, or you could meet at a separate date and time devoted exclusively to the study.

3. Agree on a topic.  As the leader, you might already have a suggested book or workbook to offer the group.  Present your recommendations and note the reactions.

4. If they want to study a different topic than your recommended materials cover, do research about the topic to find acceptable materials.

5. Choose a book or workbook to use as your focus of study.

6. Contact the publisher concerning group discounts or bulk rate pricing for the materials.

7. Notify the group of the costs of the materials: include the payment to the publisher and any printing costs (paper and ink) if the materials are delivered as pdf files.

8. As the leader, set up a study schedule (topic/chapter for each session) and divide the material into the number of sessions agreed upon by the group.  Hopefully, the materials come with some kind of guidelines for instructors –an instructor manual — but if not, examine the materials and decide how much time each chapter or lesson would take, then fit the material into your schedule.  You might have to omit some chapters, or leave them to the next round of study sessions.

9. Present your schedule of materials to be covered and receive final approval from the group to proceed.

10. Collect the materials fees from the group members who want to participate.  Arrange for the materials to be delivered/printed.  If printed by someone in the group, each member will have to provide her own binder and tab/dividers, if desired.

11. At a writing group session before the study sessions start (the session before is ideal), hand out the materials; explain the schedule for covering the materials over the many sessions.  Explain the timing for each session.  Explain their participation level for this venture to work (they must read the chapter and do the exercises before the session; they can prepare a list of questions or confusions to bring to the session.)

12. Start to work learning the materials, one session and one chapter at a time.

Conducting Each Session

For a 1 hour session, I would recommend the following:

- 15 minutes: go over the instructional materials, answer any questions or confusions.  If no one in the group can answer a question, have someone contact the publisher for the answer or (if the publisher is not available for this kind of customer service) do research to find the answer, to be presented at the next session.

- 30 to 40 minutes: go over the exercises or action steps/exercises presented in the materials.  The real learning happens here, as people argue or inform others about the right answers.  I’ve found this group interaction facilitates the best learning.  If the materials are more action oriented, asking readers to perform tasks to accomplish a goal, then the results of those actions are discussed, acknowledged, and cheered about. Results and learning are the goals of these sessions.

- 15 to 5 minutes: wrap up the session, discuss the date, homework, and focus of the next session.

If you have two hours for each session, double the times as discussed above, or agree to a different timing sequence, as the group desires.

Conduct the sessions with members seated in a circle or square, so that each person in the group clearly see each other member of the group.  Using tables so members can take notes would be the best furniture arrangement.

The circle or square configuration of furniture facilitates group interactions and group teachings that are so vital to this type of learning.  Do NOT have the leader stand at the head of the room and conduct the session as in a regular classroom.

Products from Quilliful Publications

I have two products that would be useful for such group learning sessions:

1. Write that Nonfiction Book: The Whole Process.  The goal of these study sessions would be for each member to work through the process described in the book (using the BookNote tasks) and produce a finished manuscript (of their desired length and topic) by the end of the sessions.  This course-in-a-book is already setup for this kind of study.  It is available in trade paperback or as pdf downloads (to go into the member’s own binder).

2. Common Writing Errors Workbook: The goal of these study sessions would be to have each member learn about the 50+ writing errors and issues discussed in the workbook.  Some of the lessons are fairly basic but long forgotten, while others offer guidance for more sophisticated writers.

Each of these publications is available at a bulk rate from this site.  Contact Katie at Quilliful@gmail.com with questions and to make arrangements for delivery.

I am planning to write Writing Group Leader Teaching Guides for each of these publications.  These guides will be free (I think they’ll be published as blog posts).  The writing is scheduled; I hope to have them finished this month (May 2010).

I am always available to answer any questions and concerns generated from the materials, and to receive feedback about using the materials.  Simply contact me at the email address above.

What do you think of this idea?  Do you see a need for such study sessions?  Or do you find the writing group sessions already overwhelmed by work and time spent on member writing?  Let me know what you think.