The 4 Hidden Dangers of Writing Groups | Jane Friedman

Most writing groups tiptoe around glaring weaknesses in the work being shared and sometimes tell outright lies about it, because they don't want to hurt people's feelings. All the writer hears is praise or vague criticism that isn't very actionable, and so they assume that what they are writing is solid (if not awesome) and they plow on creating fundamentally flawed work.

Praise is wonderful-it feels good to hear it-but it is not very helpful for the writer committed to writing a book that engages the reader. Writers must find a way to welcome criticism, even harsh criticism, but writer's groups tend not to foster this skill, and as a result, no one grows, no one learns, and people become deluded about their work-believing it to be better than it is.