Writing groups are something every screenwriter will be tempted to become a part of, since they promise a sense that you are not alone in your struggle.  However, they are also something to be wary of, since they can significantly alter your path without your knowledge.

There are professional, amateur and semi-professional groups.  And there are classes that are basically just groups but you’re getting graded.

I think there is really thing that really matters: is the situation toxic or non-toxic?

You think I’m kidding, but I’m not.  There are groups where your desire to write will slowly be drained out of you.  There are groups where your desire to LIVE will slowly be drained out of you.  There are groups where every single point of your style will slowly be eroded.  It’s possible to learn in these groups, but it’s not pleasant, or even very likely.

How do you identify the toxic? (Which, by the way, includes producers and development types as well as writing groups).  It’s simple.  Toxic people will tell you that it’s important to identify what is wrong, and will disallow the words “I like” or “it’s interesting.”  It sounds like a solid philosophy that cuts out all the crap that usually ends up being difficult and confusing.  In practice, it becomes an exercise in humility.  You will feel like you are learning a lot.  But the quality of your writing won’t get any better.

What screenwriters (and occasionally producers and D-girls) don’t realize is that it’s important to acknowledge what IS working, and what is close to working, as well as what is not working.  You have to ground your criticism, because the person who’s hearing it has no idea what the problem is (if they did, they’d fix it).  You have to suggest methods by which something can be fixed, and not just point out what is wrong.

It’s tempting to say that a script has nothing good about it; that it can’t be fixed.  This is untrue.  For one thing, even one hundred and twenty pages of dreck is words on a page in approximately the correct amount.  For another, all scripts can be fixed–it’s just a matter of time and energy.  You might recommend that a writer abandon a script, but even that should be out of the idea that they’ve learned enough from writing it that the next will be significantly better and give them a better place to start from.

If you find yourself in a scenario where there is nothing positive to be said about your script…RUN. I’m not saying a toxic group could never help you get your script to where you want it to be, but it’s going to take more time and psychologists visits to get your script perfected that way than it would if you stayed on your own and waited to meet some non-toxic people.

(Note: Toxic can also be identified as people who tell you nothing but good stuff.  Actually, those people are beyond toxic.  They’re setting you up for something).