Customer Reviews

Writing Alone, Writing Together: A Guide for Writers and Writing Groups

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As a teacher of creative writing, I hear horror stories about writing groups. I also hear stories about how helpful they've been. For years I've looked for a book to recommend to my students for putting together the latter kind--writing groups that respect and support the creative process. This is that book. If you've ever thought of starting or joining such a group, Writing Alone, Writing Together is required reading. It's the most comprehensive book ever written on the subject. Need I say more?

~Hal Zina Bennett, author of Write From the Heart and more than 30 successful books.

This is a great resource, whether you are trying to piece together your own writing group, deciding how to choose a group to join, or hoping to reinvigorate your current group. Ms. Reeves offers plenty of practical advice, with true-to-life examples. This is a great follow-up to her collection of writing prompts, A Writer's Book of Days, which I have used almost daily for the past four years!

As an author and writing teacher, I was more than pleased that Judy Reeves put so much of her good energy into the writing of this very necessary book. It's obvious that she's drawn on a wealth of personal experience and poured it all into these pages. Nowhere else does there exist such a comprehensive compilation of fears, facts, and fiction about the art, craft, and hard work of being a writer, whether you're Writing Alone or Writing Together.
Highest recommendation

I found this book very helpful with the nitty gritty stuff about organizing my writing and working with a critique group and classes. It was also quite inspiring and full of ideas about how to write, where to write, who to write with, how to critique, how to revise, etc.

It helped enormously when three other writers and I formed an online critique group. Any questions we had, the book answered. It also gave invaluable suggestions for improving our group and our writing.

The author, Judy Reeves, has lead all kinds of writing groups and classes and gives concrete examples of what works best. Her book is well-organized, and an enjoyable read to boot.

Judy Reeves' latest writer's helper is chock full of supportive hints, tremendous insights and guidelines to forming, participating and getting the most out of a writing group. In her clear, concise and genial manner, Ms. Reeves breaks down the "ins & outs" of what writing groups can offer to either neophyte or established writers. It is apparent that Ms. Reeves has garnered much understanding and is excited to share information on how to participate in a writing group-the pages and margins of this book are brimming with assignments, suggestions, prompts, quotes, checklists, everything a writer might need to get going. This book walks the reader/writer through scenarios and suggestions, offering advice of how to start or find an established group and what to do once you are there. She hits on some of the basics, like how to make time to write in our busy lives, to understanding the "Qualities of a Good Group, all the way to dealing with the dreaded "Bores, Whiners and Thugs." She's masterfully included a "how to" guide for the process of reading and critiquing other's people's work. Her "Guidelines for Writing Practice" are worth the cost of this book alone. As with her previous book, "A Writer's Book of Days," Judy Reeves goes for the bull's eye and gets it.

As a lifetime lone writer, I owe Judy Reeves for pulling me-and other fellow writers-out of our caves. This review is not to undermine other books on the subject, for they all have contributed much. What is different about her book, is that words come from the heart with such a direct and deep understanding, they have no other way but to settle in the reader's heart. It sometimes soundss like she knows-and it matters to her-that we benefit from it. As someone who has worked with many writer's groups, she knows their doubts and confusions. Not only does she address the problems of writing in a group, but reveals solutions to help us deal with what we so affectionately call the "block". Although her second book does talk of "writing alone", it succeeds to open a new door to the pleasures and benefits of "writing together". Not only is the book a master's guide for the lost writer, but she connects with the reader and shows how to stop the distraction before it stops the artist. To me, this is a constant guide to fall back on time and again. It is a pleasure to share it with friends and I'll continue to make a gift of it to other fellow writers.

With this book, Judy Reeves secures her place as the best "writer about writing" we have. In this finely crafted work, as well as in her "A Writer's Book of Days," Ms. Reeves has single-handedly rescued thousands of writers from the fears and insecurities that can cripple even the most talented scribes. If you are serious about writing, wait no longer--BUY THIS BOOK, and write, write, write!

Judy Reeves' latest writer's helper is chock full of supportive hints, tremendous insights and guidelines to forming, participating and getting the most out of a writing group. In her clear, concise and genial manner, Ms. Reeves breaks down the "ins & outs" of what writing groups can offer to either neophyte or established writers. It is apparent that Ms. Reeves has garnered much understanding and is excited to share information on how to participate in a writing group-the pages and margins of this book are brimming with assignments, suggestions, prompts, quotes, checklists, everything a writer might need to get going. This book walks the reader/writer through scenarios and suggestions, offering advice of how to start or find an established group and what to do once you are there. She hits on some of the basics, like how to make time to write in our busy lives, to understanding the "Qualities of a Good Group, all the way to dealing with the dreaded "Bores, Whiners and Thugs." She's masterfully included a "how to" guide for the process of reading and critiquing other's people's work. Her "Guidelines for Writing Practice" are worth the cost of this book alone. As with her previous book, "A Writer's Book of Days," Judy Reeves goes for the bull's eye and gets it.

As a writing group participant this book gave me insight on how to enhance the experience. I learned when I had outgrown my group and when a new group is the right group for me. But besides all the group dynamics issues, the book also encouraged the writing process and made me feel safe in the writing world. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is currently in a group, wants to form a group, or wants to know how best to make the group experience work for them.

Judy Reeves' latest writer's helper is chock full of supportive hints, tremendous insights and guidelines to forming, participating and getting the most out of a writing group. In her clear, concise and genial manner, Ms. Reeves breaks down the "ins & outs" of what writing groups can offer to either neophyte or established writers. It is apparent that Ms. Reeves has garnered much understanding and is excited to share information on how to participate in a writing group-the pages and margins of this book are brimming with assignments, suggestions, prompts, quotes, checklists, everything a writer might need to get going. This book walks the reader/writer through scenarios and suggestions, offering advice of how to start or find an established group and what to do once you are there. She hits on some of the basics, like how to make time to write in our busy lives, to understanding the "Qualities of a Good Group, all the way to dealing with the dreaded "Bores, Whiners and Thugs." She's masterfully included a "how to" guide for the process of reading and critiquing other's people's work. Her "Guidelines for Writing Practice" are worth the cost of this book alone. As with her previous book, "A Writer's Book of Days," Judy Reeves goes for the bull's eye and gets it.