To writers out there who prefer always writing in solitary and find it distracting to have others writing around them, feel free to skip the rest of this post.
While I usually have no problem writing by myself and in fact usually prefer it, I also am one of those writers who finds it motivating to sometimes work in a different environment, and especially in an environment where there are others writing. It's why I sometimes enjoy working in public workspaces like libraries and coffee shops. If someone would invent a transporter I could use to instantly jump to one of these spaces, I'd be choosing to work in those places much more often.
What is The Cabin?
I am part of a small group of writer friends who check in with each other via a private Slack about what we're working on. We call it The Cabin. While there is some chitchat, the emphasis is on writing productivity. NO DRAMA. There are plenty of venues for other types of discussions on other platforms.
Where we post about accountability
We post our updates on a private Slack group. One of the channels is for accountability ("Aiming for 1000 words today" or "Editing my mss for the next hour" or "Working on world-building this week" etc). Another channel is for posting Zoom links for live co-writing sessions. I encourage everyone to host any anytime, but I think I'm the only one with a Pro account so can host sessions longer than 45 minutes. Volume stays off, cameras optional. There is also a channel for promo-related posts, but I've noticed very few post there. Focus of The Cabin is writing accountability.
Why not a Facebook group, you may ask? I didn't choose FB because at least for me, Facebook a black hole of distractions, drama, and anxiety. I'm still on FB because it's the only place some of my friends and family post personal updates. When I check FB, it's never to scroll the general feed but usually with a specific mission of checking what a specific person is up to. I'm in, then I'm out.
I find Slack far less distracting mainly because I'm in very few Slack groups. I know that Discord is popular for this kind of group, but I am on sooooo many servers already and would be far more likely to get distracted.
Are you open to new members?
Not right now. There's a lot of vulnerability and trust when it comes to posting about accountability, so our group is small. We currently have around 5-6 writers who check in at least once a month, some more often. We all have Lifestuff going on, so there is an ebb and flow.
How do you check if people are being honest?
We don't. There are no prizes and no penalties. It's all on the honor system.
Sure, I could post that I'm aiming to write thousand words that day and then later lie and say I succeeded when I didn't, but what would be the point?
I'd like to join an online accountability group!
There are quite a few online writing session groups, some free and some paid. Try searching for terms like "Zoom writing sessions" and "virtual writing sessions." I just did a search now and find a list compiled by Shut Up And Write as well as Erin Entrada Kelly's KidLit AllWrite community write-in (fee), among others.
Or start your own!