A social platform that has grown in popularity in recent years is Discord. The live chat platform enables people to create communities, often in support of a service or product they’re selling. One phenomenon is Discord writing groups.
Usually centred around the quest for improving your writing skills, these groups use Discord to help with the likes of beta read exchanges, idea discussion and a means by which you can join a regular critique group.
As we explore below, there are lots of benefits to Discord writing groups. But they can be tough to find and if you’re unfamiliar with Discord you may be unsure about how to join them.
Fear not, for I explain everything here in this comprehensive guide. I host my own Discord writing group which has over 500 members, so below I share my experiences of how it all works,
What Are Discord Writing Groups?
Discord writing groups are communities created with the purpose of helping people improve their writing. They also serve a social function for writers and authors. Strangers can suddenly become friends and relationships forged with people all across the globe.
Some features that you may find in Discord writing communities include:
- Beta reading swaps – the premise of this is simple; if you have something you want feedback on, you agree to read another’s work and provide feedback while they do the same for you.
- Critique groups – this is a more intense level of feedback. Writers can join small writing groups of around 4-6 people. They will usually be matched up by genre of interest, time zone, and the regularity of meetings (such as once a week, every two weeks or once a month).
- Idea discussion – many Discord writing groups offer the means for you to discuss ideas, get feedback and find more inspiration.
- Social features – a big part of online writing communities is the ability to interact and chat with like-minded people. You can also stay up to date with writing news and trends.
- Events – some Discord groups for writers offer events throughout the year. For example, my group has panel events covering subjects like worldbuilding and characterization, featuring international bestselling authors and award-winning writers like Stephen Aryan and Karen Heuler, as well as literary agent Laura Bennett from the Liverpool Literary Agency.
- Competitions and writing challenges – some writing groups on Discord host regular writing tasks like short story competitions and challenges centred around a literary theme.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it covers the main features found in many writing groups on Discord, especially my one which I explain in detail below.
What Is Discord And Why Join A Writing Group?
Let’s jump back for a second. If you haven’t heard of it before, Discord is an online live chat platform that allows people to create their own communities and groups, known as servers.
Within these servers are lots of threads, which are group chats devoted to specific subjects. For example, in my Discord writing group, we have threads on worldbuilding to magic systems. Here’s a screenshot of the fantasy writing category.
As myself and many other writers have learned, Discord is an excellent platform to connect with fellow writers. The live chat function is much better than anything Facebook, Twitter or Instagram has ever offered, and the fact it’s focused on community lends itself well to the nature of writing.
But you may be reading this and thinking why you need to bother with Discord writing groups at all. Well, what I’ve learned in a decade of writing is that there’s only so much you can do alone. There comes a time when you need to get editorial feedback from a fresh pair of eyes.
What’s more, that feedback, if you open yourself up to it, can transform your writing and your career trajectory. For me, writing groups can shine a light on your weaknesses and can help you turn them into strengths.
It’s not just me who thinks that working together is a good thing. Many studies have looked at the benefits of structured writing groups.
So whether you want to join a community of writers or a critique group that meets every week, a Discord writing group is the best place to start.
The Best Discord Writing Groups You Can Join Now
Let’s take a look at some of the best Discord writing groups that you can join today.
Richie Billing’s Discord Writing Group
I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you more about my own Discord writing group, which is one creation I’m very proud of.
The server is very much community-led. If someone requests a thread on a talking point I make it.
This has all helped it become a very collaborative environment. People ask questions and receive a flood of advice and supportive responses.
We have threads dedicated to beta reading and another for regular critique groups. In short, it’s one of the best places you can be if you want genuine help with your writing.
However, the group isn’t open to the public. To join, you have to receive an invitation, which you can get by clicking the button below and signing up.
The main features of the writing community are:
- Connect with like-minded writers from all over the world
- Get help with beta read exchanges
- Join a weekly, biweekly or monthly critique group
- Get access to exclusive Discord-only events, like panel discussions with bestselling authors and literary agents
- Early access to The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed podcast, as well as The Writers’ Toolshed newsletter
- Discuss ideas and share resources and news pieces and advice and tips on creative writing
And the best thing is it’s completely free to join. If you’d like to do so all you need to do is click the button below and enter your email address. You’ll get an invite within seconds.
Emerald Library
One of the biggest Discord writing groups that you can join is Emerald Library.
It has just over 10,000 members, many of whom are writing. The group is devoted to fan fiction. It places a big emphasis on mini-communities and user choice.
As well as writers, readers, editors and anyone with those interests also frequent the group.
The Art Of Poetry
If writing prose is not your jam, you may be interested in joining the Art of Poetry Discord group.
With over 4,000 members, you can share your writing in confidence. The group prides itself on being safe and toxicity-free.
It’s also a great place to read poetry. To date, over 2,000 poems have been shared, with new ones added each day.
So if you want to improve your poetry writing, this is the group for you.
Where Can I Find More Writing Groups On Discord
There are lots of awesome threads, pages and websites devoted to informing us all of the latest servers on Discord, writing groups being no exception. Here are some links below which offer information on more servers you could join:
- This link takes you to a site called Top.gg. It offers a comprehensive list of Discord servers that are all focused on creative writing. At the time of writing this, there were 613 servers available to join.
- The website Disboard.org also offers a comprehensive list of Discord writing groups. It operates in a similar way to Top.gg, but has handy tags to show you what the focus of the group is. At the time of writing, there were over 4,000 servers listed under the writing tag.
How To Make Your Own Discord Writing Group
Making your own Discord writing group is pretty easy. It operates in much the same way as making any other kind of server on the platform.
Once you’ve created your server, it’s just a matter of promoting it. However, you want to ensure you promote it to the right people.
I find that if you leave the server open to anyone to join then you could run into problems. There are some provocative people out there with questionable views and too much time on their hands. Once or twice a person has joined our own Discord writing group and made some controversial posts.
Thankfully, Discord offers lots of great tools for banning members and deleting messages. I’d also recommend making your server invite-only. You can easily generate an invite code (make sure you generate a permanent code and not a 7-day one, which it does by default). Then share that with genuine followers, like email subscribers or social media fans.
FAQ On Discord Writing Groups
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions (FAQ) on Discord and writing groups.
Are Discord writing groups free to join?
Yes, most Discord writing groups are free to join. In some cases, you may be required to subscribe to a newsletter or mailing list to receive an invitation to join the group.
Do I Need To Use My Real Identify On Discord?
No, users are welcome to create ambiguous profiles. You can be an international bestseller and nobody would know as long as you use a unique profile name and image.
Most nights you can find him up into the wee hours scribbling away or watching the NBA.
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