There is no one answer to how many should be in a writer’s group. However, if you want feedback on your work quickly, then focus on having a small number.
My current group started out with five members – two men and three women. Everyone had a different project including memoir, historical fiction, essay, and literary fiction. We agreed to meet every two weeks.
One of the men dropped out as he had another group online that he felt more comfortable with. He’d warned us this could happen, and I was grateful he dropped out before we became too invested in his work.
As a group of four, we then decided we would discuss two pieces each time we met and alternate submissions. With this arrangement, an individual’s work would be discussed once a month.
I was willing to do this, but I felt like a lot of time would lapse between getting feedback on my own work and I wanted to finish writing the book within a few months.
Fortunately, although I would miss his comments and writing, another member of the group dropped out as he found he simply wasn’t writing. That left three. And for a few moments I panicked, worried that there would be too few of us to continue. BUT I WAS WRONG
Three seems to be the magic number. We can read each other’s work and have all three submissions discussed during each session. Our conversation is relaxed while the feedback is focused and truly helpful.
It takes time to make all the adjustments that will support a healthy writer’s group. Some with large numbers do very well. Three is perfect for me.
Let me know your thoughts
Mary