Guest Post: Four Tips for Making the Most of Writing Workshops by Lauren Bailey
December 13, 2011 by Lillie
For fiction and nonfiction writers alike, going it completely alone is a difficult process that takes much longer without the encouragement and support from a group. Of course, enrolling in a writing workshop is by no means a necessary step in becoming a published author, but I feel that every writer can stand to benefit from the experience of learning and honing writing techniques in a group setting, even if you try it only once. It’s certainly an experience that can expand your writing horizons, especially if you approach workshops the right way. While there are various different types of writing workshops, the most useful in my experience has been the critique workshop, in which each writer writes at least one piece, and everyone in the group works together in critiquing the piece constructively. To make the most out of these types of workshops, here are a few tips:
1. Always come prepared.
Most of the work done while participating in a writing workshop is usually completed outside the group meeting itself. There are three main components that most writing workshops share—reading material written by published authors, reading and critiquing participants’ work, and writing one or more pieces to share with the rest of the group. Many first-time workshop participants spend too much time drafting their piece, effectively missing out on developing skills that are just as important like editing and reading published work analytically.
2. When your piece is being critiqued, listen attentively, take notes, and ask questions.
Perhaps the strangest part about attending writing workshops, the one that takes the most getting used to, is being “judged” by a panel of your peers. In most workshops, the group will discuss your writing aloud, but they will not refer to you by name, only “the writer.” Although it may initially seem like an intimidating process, keep yourself busy by taking extensive notes. Remember that a writing workshop is an incredible opportunity to get feedback from other writers, so respect the time everyone put into critiquing your work by honestly considering what everyone has to say.
3. Learn to take good advice and discard bad advice.
Many writers criticize workshops because you are essentially learning from others who are amateurs themselves. Too much conflicting criticism from a diverse group of writers may cause you to change your work so much that it’s no longer uniquely yours. The best way to avoid this scenario is to consider all criticism first. Analyze each person’s critiques carefully, noting which writers share your vision, and which are more prone to pushing their sense of style onto others. It’s also advisable to keep track of the number of comments that you receive criticizing the same problem. If many people see a problem with a particular scene or aspect of a particular character, then you should seriously consider reworking these specific parts with which many have taken issue.
4. Put time and effort into critiquing others’ work. It’ll make you a stronger editor and writer.
When I first attended a writing workshop, I spent the least amount of time critiquing others’ work because I was so engrossed in writing my own short story drafts. What I didn’t know at the time was that this practice eventually backfires in a workshop setting. For one, if you don’t put much effort into critiquing others’ work, your peers won’t put much effort into your work—workshops are definitely a two-way street. What’s more, carefully reading other participants work helps you to develop your eye for common writing mistakes. Since it’s so much easier to find fault in others work than our own, practicing editing others’ work will make you a better editor of your writing eventually.
If you haven’t yet joined a writing workshop, I highly recommend trying it out. Even if you don’t find the experience very helpful, you will have at least met a group of writers that share with you the joys and frustrations of artistic creation.
If you aren’t sure where to find a workshop or critique group, ask your local library, community college, or arts organization. For writer’s conferences and retreats, which involve participants spending several days in a specific setting with writers from around the country, check out this comprehensive listing. If you need guidance on forming your own critique group, be sure to read Lillie Amman’s previous advice here. Good luck!
By-line:
This guest post is contributed by Lauren Bailey, who regularly writes for best online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: blauren99@gmail.com.
People may think that writing workshops are only for beginner writers. I would say writing workshops can very well benefit any writer at any level as well. This is a perfect place where one can learn and teach at the same time.
Jane,
And often we learn more from teaching than from studying!
Writing workshops are definitely the way to go. When you’re taking a class, sometimes the only feedback you get is in the form of an obliterating critique from the instructor, which usually does more harm than good. With a writing workshop, some of the feedback might not be constructive, but you’re much more likely to actually get something out of it.
Matt,
It’s really helpful to get feedback from several people rather than one, even if that one is an instructor.
Thanks for the tips. =) It is very helpful of me on my way. I learn so many things from you. =)Keep posting.
Zara,
I’m glad you found Lauren’s post helpful.
Yes I agree, there is nothing wrong in taking negative feedbacks about your writing. In fact this will help you to improvise a lot and also will help you to write something much better than what you used to write before. There are some websites and blogs which help us in writing articles and also improvise on our writing skills.
Oliver,
I like to give positive feedback along with negative. It takes courage to let someone read and critique your work, and that alone deserves praise. But I tell people who contact me about editing their work that I will try to be encouraging, but I will also be totally honest about what needs to be improved. It would be a disservice to my clients and a waste of their money to making them feel good at the expense of helping them improve.
Hi all,
Thanks for the comments, and I’m glad you found my post useful. I definitely agree with Jane and Matt, writing workshops are for every kind of writer, whether beginning or seasoned. It’s always good to have an observant, critical audience before releasing your work to a wider audience of readers!Good luck to everyone!
Lauren,
Thanks for the guest post and for coming by to respond to commenters.
These tips are just a few but really quite useful and essential. Writing your thoughts and sharing it to many is quite scary especially when you’re a newbie. I learned something from this tips and thanks for sharing this post Lauren Bailey.
Glad you found Lauren’s post helpful, Jane.
Yes, it is important that you need to be receptive to change. You should never feel offended when someone is busy finding your faults. In fact you should be positive and think that someone is trying to polish your skills and is helping you to learn some more things apart from what you currently know. Be happy that someone is making an effort to help you learn a bit more.
Thomas,
Yes, it’s wonderful to have someone willing to give you feedback on your work.
The most important thing is active listening and preparation. What always help me to have specific goals for every seminar i attend. Having concrete things that you want to get out of a learning process can help you stay focus and also enables evaluation at the end. It’s a pretty great way to keep track of your learning.
Chie,
Having a goal for an event–critique workshops like Lauren is talking about or seminars or conferences–is an excellent idea.