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Position:Home>Books & Authors> The purpose of writers workshops?Question: The purpose of writers workshops!? I had a writing teacher who nearly killed off my enthusiasm for writing, because she allowed the class to openly critiquely our work, and a lot of it was very negative!. Now, when I pick up a pen, I hear their nagging, carping voices in my head, interfering with my creativity!. I can see some benefits of workshopping, but some of it was also very destructive!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I think open critiques for young writers are, generally speaking, a bad thing!. I think when you're first starting out, one of the first things you should take to heart is "Protect the work!." When it's done, when it's polished, when you've grown a few layers of armor around your heart and can separate yourself from the work, then you let it out for critique!. But you don't let any schmoe critique it, either!. Some people don't have the skills or the temperament for a good critique!. They can learn the skills, but mean is just mean!. That said, there are some writers who thrive in that environment from the beginning, begging for that slash and burn!. Others don't get discouraged, but try too hard to please everyone, turning off their creativity and trying to write by committee!. That doesn't work, either!. In any case, you did learn something from the workshop!. Not to do them again until you're ready!. I always preferred small critique groups of people who wrote within my genre, who were actively seeking publication, rather than general people who just tapped out a few words and called themselves writers because they think it's somehow glamorous!. Glamorous, this job ain't!. Keep writing!. Switch formats or genres for a while and see if that doesn't get the nasty voices out!.Www@QuestionHome@Com I don't know how old you are, but I'm assuming that your workshop was for younger students!?!? Writers' workshops are the main mode of teaching creative writing at university, but, as a former high school English teacher, I don't recommend it at all for school-aged students!. It needs great sensitivity to critique another person's work in a way that is constructive and not harmful to the writer's creative energy!. Generally, a critic in a workshop should try to frame their 'criticisms' in a sensitive way, for instance, making a positive comment before making any CONSTRUCTIVE criticisms or questioning why you chose to do something in a particular way!. It's a shame that you have had this experience with workshopping!. What you should keep in mind, though, is that everybody likes and dislikes different things in what they choose to read!. So take any criticisms lightly!. (Keep in mind that Stephen King got loads of rejections prior to having anything published, so it really is difficult to please everybody!.) It is not expected that you accept ALL of the criticisms that are given to you in a workshop, but that you start to question different things that you might be doing in your writing!. You can then become conscious of things that you mightn't have realised you were doing in your writing and start making conscious choices about what you would prefer to be doing with it!. If you can get to a different writing group, you might find that you get some more positive remarks about your work in a more mature and/or more sensitive environment!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Irena, Mema and Sela are really on the mark here!. I agree with a lot of what they say!. Writing as a hobby or a career is not one to take lightly if you can't stand criticism!. Now, I don't mean that in a negative way towards you, only that some people take it to heart and just want to quit!. The easily discouraged or faint of heart should not take the writer's path!. As far as the teacher allowing the class to critique, I believe it's up to the other students to be professional and look at the work for what it actually is!. A writing critique is so much like a food critique!. Not everyone likes the same thing!. Some don't like horror while others don't like comedy!. Some don't like first person point of view as a writing style!. This doesn't mean the work is not up to par!. Take a break for a while and get those voices out of your head!. You know what you want to write and how to write it, so forget about the writing class!. Just write down what comes to mind and edit yourself over and over again until you have exactly what you were looking for!. What YOU were looking for, Irena!. Good luck! PJ MWww@QuestionHome@Com Hello! Workshops are a wonderful way to make contact with your readers and get them charged in enjoying your book!. Readers love to meet the authors and 'pick your brain' a bit!. As an author of a positive self-talk workbook, I love meeting the people and assisting them with a jump start on their personal self-worth journey!. There are many self-help books to read, but we must put change into action to find results!. That is biggest reason I have just started my workbook series!. That is tough to hear the criticism in your head from others, but remember if it's your passion the right people will LOVE it!. There will always be some who want to view life negatively!. Hang in there! MernaWww@QuestionHome@Com |