Trust is the foundation of a writing group (or should I call it an Editing group?). Ideally, when I join or start a writing group, I'm looking for the following:

Three people besides me, so four in total

Too many people and you can't get through enough work in the time you have. If you only have one other person, you're also not getting a varied perspective on your poem.

Diversity

Diversity across age, gender identity, styles of poetry, and background can enrich your poetry. Sometimes we don't have the luxury to choose our group, but if you do, consider the viewpoints that other's life experiences can bring.

Rules

• Everyone should bring something to edit. To bring your work to this group is to demonstrate vulnerability. You don't want armchair experts, you want someone in the thick of it with you.
• Print out and bring enough copies of the poem to let each person have something to write on. Crossing things out, writing down suggested language, or even reordering entire stanzas can only be done by... well, by actually doing it! Also, seeing and working on your work outside of the screen or the notebook you originally wrote the piece on can be very helpful. Make sure to bring a copy for yourself, so you can note what works and what doesn't for you.
• Listen to feedback, but don't go overboard. These are people who are genuinely trying to understand your work. They also want to be entertained as much as you want to entertain. If something doesn't work for them, consider it, but don't treat it as law.
• Find somewhere that is relatively quiet. A coffee shop can be a great place to meet, unless there's a jazz band playing.
• Don't say "I was trying to do this". It's a real joy when someone gets something out of a poem you didn't put into it. If you want to adjust the conversation, consider asking questions like "would it be funnier if it was this way?" or "can you think of a way to give more tension at this part?"
• Block out about two to three hours. This should give some time to enjoy each other's company as well as doing the work.

Approach

1. First, the author reads the poem in it's entirety. No descriptions, no discussions about why the poem was written, what words mean. Just read the poem as it is on the page.
2. Then, one other member of the group reads the poem in it's entirety, without any editing. Even if there's something you would change about the poem at this point, don't highlight it. The author needs to hear the words coming out of someone else.
3. Set a timer. We then pause for silently marking up the piece on each person's copy of the poem. This should be about two to five minutes depending on the length of poem or how the people are reacting.
4. Discuss.
5. Move to the next reader.

Adaptations

• Would it be better to send the poems out before meeting? If you agree to do this, and everybody does their homework (haha), then you can decrease the length of the timer, or remove it.
• Can I use Google Docs or other technology instead of printing? I wholeheartedly love using Google Docs, but be considerate of the technical comfort of your group. I recommend duplicating the poem onto different pages and assigning one reviewer per page. That way, they can use comments or copy and paste parts of the poem, and it doesn't impact anyone else's version of the poem.