Receiving Feedback in Writing Workshop
Hi writers and readers,
in my September Substack I dove into a topic that I think confuses and overwhelms emerging writers: how best to receive feedback in a creative writing workshop. This is the final missive in a three-part series on creative writing workshops that appeared on my Substack. Part 1 focused on what a workshop can offer. Part 2 focused on finding or choosing the right creative writing workshop for you.
Here is an excerpt:
Receiving feedback on your workshop pages can be one of the most helpful and invigorating parts of the process of becoming a better writer. And it can also be nerve wracking, confusing and hard.
If there’s a hill I’ll die on when it comes to teaching creative writing it’s that no writing advice applies to every type of writer or every stage of your process.
But here are some things I like to remember when receiving feedback in a writing workshop. Take what resonates with you, and leave the rest (and don’t skip any steps; reflecting on what resonates and what doesn’t is part of the work):
What should I bring to workshop?
I bring an essay or excerpt to workshop when I feel “stuck” with it or I feel like there’s something I’m not seeing.
There is much to be gained from reading and sharing our own writing in class without offering feedback, but that’s not what workshop is for.
What you’re saying when you bring a piece to workshop is “I feel like this could be better or say what I’m trying to say more clearly but I’m not sure how.”
It’s OK to be nervous!
Whether you’re workshopping your writing for the first time, or you’ve done it for years, the process can bring up a lot of discomfort. It’s hard to hear that our writing — something so personal, so vulnerable — is not perfect, even if we know that perfection doesn’t really exist. Don’t worry if it leaves you a little rattled. It’ll pass!