Why Did Less Writing Make a Writing Club Happier?

Zac Solomon says a writing club is really about talking to other people. People use the writing as the excuse for showing up. What they enjoy, and what keeps them coming back, is talking to people.

Over time, Zac Solomon shifted writing clubs toward more talking and less writing, and people got happier. The creative constraint is the space. A packed house is 20 people, so there is no 100 person situation. A person goes to the fridge, grabs a drink, and stands alone in the kitchen until one other person comes in. Ignoring them is too weird, so the two of them talk. The space is too small and the number of people is too small. Zac Solomon has never seen somebody off to the side, weird in the corner and not talking, and did talk to people at a pizza night in the house.

Members keep coming back for the conversation. A room that only holds 20 people makes ignoring someone harder than saying hello.