In this article, the authors share what they learned from their study of writing communities, which they refer to as writing groups, during the 2017-18 school year. The authors propose a conceptual framework for writing groups that engages students in the process of designing and participating as writers with their peers. The framework emphasizes the importance of curating an environment where students feel they belong, building trust to write about topics that are meaningful to them, and modeling practices to support talk. The practices and successes shared are rooted in their stance and vigilance to see students as human beings who need safe spaces to critique the social world, while they develop their passions and questions as writers through talk.