Joining a writing group can be a great help to our work – but how can we make our writing group meetings even more beneficial? Here are five ideas you might like to try.

Make time for writing during meetings. We all know that finding the discipline to write can be a challenge at times, so why not set aside time during your writing group meeting to get some words on the page? If other people are there, all doing the same thing, it can be a useful catalyst to get your head down and get writing.
Ask specific questions when seeking feedback. General feedback on your work is useful, but if there are specific things you’d like some advice on, don’t be afraid to ask. That’s what your writing group is there for. Ask them specific questions so they can help you as much as they can – just remember to return the favour.
Send material round in advance. It might sound like an obvious one, but you can get much more out of a group meeting if everyone has had chance to read the material under discussion before the meeting. Making a commitment to send stuff round a week in advance also gives you a concrete deadline to work towards.
Set challenges. It’s always interesting to see how different writers respond to the same challenge, so try setting your group tasks such as writing a sonnet on the same topic, or giving a sixty second pitch of a book you’ve all read to see how different people summarise the key points.
Pool your skills and resources. Everyone in your group will have skills and resources outside of writing – and that could be useful for all of you. If you’re all interested in independent publishing, for example, you could utilise different people’s skills to complete different aspects of the publishing process.

What are your tips for getting more out of your writing group meetings?