A Labor of Love

In fiction workshops, writers prepare stories for the rest of their classmates to critique. Faculty facilitate round-table discussions over these stories. And by the end of the course, the hope is that all writers will leave the class with a greater understanding of their individual strengths and weaknesses, as well as a greater understanding of the writing process itself.

If you’ve ever attended a writing workshop, you know there are some things you just shouldn’t do. Like surfers, writers attending a workshop should adhere to a specific code of behavior.

The following are suggestions for you to get the most out of attending any writing workshop.

When workshopping someone else’s story:

1. Never assume that the writer’s narrator or characters are, in fact, the writer.
2. Before giving feedback, read the story at hand straight through without making any prescriptive commentary. Read it just to understand what the writer was intending to do. Then, and only then, should you prepare feedback for the writer.
3. It’s OK to praise someone for a particular moment, scene, or entire story. This is not The X Factor. Don’t be Simon Cowell.
4. Do not dominate the conversation with your own comments.
5. Wait for your peers to finish sharing their opinions before you launch into yours. It’s rude to cut people off (unless, of course, they won’t shut up).
6. Lastly, it’s OK to sit quietly, listening to everyone else–especially if you have nothing helpful to share.

When preparing a story to be workshopped:

1. Proofread your shi. Unnecessary, repetitive grammar and punctuation errors will never ingratiate you with your peers.
2. Only workshop a story when it is nearly finished. The feedback you receive will be much more specific and helpful. If you bring in work that is incomplete, you could receive comments as generic as, “Finish it.” And you knew you’d have to do that before bringing your story to class anyway. Also, hearing too much prescriptive feedback could potentially destroy the energy you will need to finish the story.

Finally, when your story is being workshopped:

1. Take notes of any helpful feedback and suggestions. Your peers may not have written these down for you.
2. When receiving feedback, don’t get defensive and explain reasons why everyone misunderstood your genius.
3. Take all of the comments and notes home with you, and don’t read them right away. Give yourself enough time and space to approach them objectively. This way, you will be able to remove yourself from any emotional excitement or frustration you may have experienced. When your mind is clear, you will be able to see what is best for your story.
4. Remember that it is your story. You don’t have to listen to anyone if you don’t want to.
5. If you received a couple smart suggestions for improvement, you got your money’s worth.

If you adhere to these rules, you will be primed to make the most of any creative writing workshop you attend. And with any luck, you will forge long-lasting friendships with other writers who share your appreciation and dedication for the craft.

Thanks for reading. Please leave me a comment below if you have any of your own rules for workshops that you’d like to share.

As always, I hope you have a productive week. Write your heart out!


Photo credit: Lefty91 / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA