Promoting Writing through Teacherless Writing Groups

Writing groups for laypeople date back to the mid-nineteenth century in the United States, becoming popular in educational settings as early as the 1930s. However, writing groups for health professionals evolved later, gaining traction only in the last 50 years. Most groups, whether interprofessional or single discipline, center on academic scholarship and therefore exist to promote writing accountability, foster mentoring, and increase publications of faculty members. Other writing groups for health professionals allow a more open focus where members write about the relational aspect of their work and their experiences inside and outside the health fields. For both kinds of groups, peer support emerges as a key element for continuing the work. Teacherless Writing Groups, as conceived of by Peter Elbow, are one method to provide nonjudgmental feedback that can encourage all types of writing by those who participate. Setting up a longitudinal group requires certain logistical considerations, but once committed, members can grow their writing through a supportive environment with each other. Our interdisciplinary group has met monthly for several years and has fostered both academic and creative writing while allowing members to reflect on their lives and work.