Writing groups facilitate the development of research students' written communication skills, which are critical for the competent preparation of theses and publications. This paper describes a Thesis Writing Group for social science doctoral students. Participants indicated that the group not only served a practical role, providing an impetus for the consideration and production of different components of their theses, but also served psychological purposes, fostering positive attitudinal changes such as enhanced motivation, increased confidence and a more positive outlook on the writing process.