There are a few ways to form a dissertation writing group that avoid common problems. Among them are keeping a schedule, setting some rules, and keeping a routine.
Be absolutely ruthless about the schedule
The single most important thing you can do to keep your dissertation writing group working is to have a simple, unchangeable schedule. Choose a day and time and stick to it like grim death. Every Monday night might be a critique session, and every Thursday night might be a shut-up-and-write session. (See below for more ideas about routines.) Or you can form a different routine. But if you agree to Monday and Thursday nights, you must make a blood oath to stick to this schedule and leave behind anyone who wishes to alter or soften it.
The times and days of writing group meetings should stay unchanged throughout a semester. Anything else will almost certainly lead to poor attendance, zero accountability, and confusion about what to do when.
Set some rules
Rules for keeping membership in the group help everyone stay focused. Members need to try to:
- Commit to working with dissertation writers from all disciplines
- Commit to a judgement-free space of support
- Go to almost all writing sessions (or if they meet twice a week, go to at least one per week)
- Give comments when they say they will
- Be supportive of others’ writing projects
- Be open to help from the group when they’re struggling
Consider routines that have worked
Weekly shut-up-and-write sessions: cameras and microphones off for an hour or more, then everyone reports back for no more than 2 minutes
Weekly report-and-critique sessions: everyone gives a 2 minutes-or-less progress report; and everyone submits a chapter or draft of something readable for one critique minimum per semester
Pairing off: organizing pairs who read and critique one another’s work at a deeper level—this is great for accountability if that’s an issue
Dinner and a dissertation: meeting over a cheap meal to discuss and critique a full dissertation draft from a member of the group, or one you found from a past grad student that merits discussion
If you’re all from the same discipline, find a book that models the work you’re trying to do and meet to discuss it
Read about successful writing groups
If you’re interested in more advice about setting up a writing group, I recommend Paul Silvia’s How to Write a Lot.
