Over at Inside Higher Ed, Kerry Ann Roquemore explains the utility of writing groups. She observes:
Faculty development researchers have demonstrated that accountability and support increase writing productivity among new faculty members. And yet, when graduate students, post-docs and new faculty talk about needing support that goes beyond substantive feedback, they’re often met with some form of shaming: “Why do you need a support group?” “Can’t you just motivate yourself to write?” “This is your job dear, so if you don’t want to write there’s plenty of unemployed people who would love to be in your position.” In short, many are advised to shut up and write. And because shaming moves people into action, that may actually work for a week or two. But true needs have a way of resurfacing. So instead of taking the tough-guy, ignore-your-needs, shut-up-and-write approach, I want to suggest the opposite. In other words, I believe that embracing your needs will help you to develop a support system that will move you from the occasional shame-induced writing binges towards a healthy, consistent, and sustainable daily writing routine.
–Ann Bartow
