Find your writers group - final days to sign up for Q3 writers groups!
My writer’s group is legit the ONLYYY thing that keeps me accountability and able to produce 2-5 projects per year so if you’re looking for motivation, accountability and just in general to make writing more fun and less lonely… this post is for uuu!
If you’re sold you can scroll to the bottom, if you wanna learn more… let’s get into it!
The gistory of the writing groups set up process:
Back in late 2020, I was part of the Awesome Assistants facebook group. It was for assistants in the film/tv industry and the asks were as wild as you can imagine..
“Does anyone know where I can get a parrot by EOD?”
”My boss needs Mariah Carey’s number”
”Need a driver for talent in town in two hours, please send recs!!”
”How can I get a passport renewed without my CEO being present??”
It was a phenomenal group and an amazing way to meet people and get jobs. I left the group when I left assistant left and from my friends still in that world it’s gone a bit defunct. There’s been some discords that tried to replace it but not quite able to replicate the fun, rowdiness and engagement.
This is the place where myself and a few others realized there were a lot of writer’s who were looking for script trades, feedback, and in general just more friends who were writers. Some folks tried to put together big writing groups but those were intimidating for a lot of folks, a bit slow moving and rigid for others.
So, a few of us got together and decided to set up a detailed google sheet for any assistant who wanted to find their writer’s group. They could fill out all the fields and we’d work on matching them by various factors like: preferred meeting schedule, genres, goals and more.
This is how I found my writer’s group!
Now four years later, my group is still going strong and they are the #1 reason I have not given up on trying to make it in this industry and I mean that with 1000% sincerity. I think sometimes Christian reads these silly posts of mine so HI CHRISTIAN!!
It’s a teeny tiny group of three folks who meet every Monday. Sometimes at our places, sometimes on zoom, sometimes at local restaurants. Sometimes we send full scripts, other times just a bunch of messy ideas or part of act two, other times, nothing at all. But no matter what we send or don’t send, we always show up with feedback, ideas, or just to squeeze in a writing or venting session.
But I’ve had such luck, fun and truly made friends for life with my writer’s group and that’s why each quarter I work to put anyone interested from out little community into writer’s groups together!
Writing groups are tricky.
I’d say, in full transparency, 65% don’t work out. There’s got to be this magic combination of the right personalities, the same levels of determination, grit, and passion. Along with the same kindness and thoughtfulness and willingness to make the time to meet. It’s not easy. There are days you just don’t want to write or talk but you show up for the other folks in your group.
This “feature” (i guess that’s what I’ll call it LOL) of Tepper Talks used to be a free for all but more recently I turned it into a paid subscribers only because when it was free, it was straight chaos, flake city. I would have over 100+ entries each quarter and then get 40+ emails about group members not responding, not showing up, not even having the decency to say “Hey sorry this doesn’t work with my schedule anymore!” It was a lot of work and then a big let down for the people who want to take this SERIOUSLY, as their career.
I’ve also had some major amazing success groups. S/O especially to Claudio and Megan’s group who are not only INSANELY TALENTED writers and pitchers but also so fun and helpful to alll Teppertok slack members.
And EXTRAA shout out to Megan for ALWAYS helping me organizing the MANYYY writers who sign up!
It’s a pretty arduous process of trying to best group people but I like to think that our slack channel + script club + now virtual pitch sessions are great but I think for this specific opportunity, having some “skin in the game” can help lend to the validity and seriousness of the group too.
SOOOOO, If you’re interested in upping your writing dedication and finding your writing group, plz-