. 1. Writing Workshops vs. Creating Independently
Writing Workshops serve many purposes. One of the most important is to give the writer unbiased feedback on a workshop piece. The submission to be critiqued should be something the author feels passionate enough to want to develop into a better working piece.
2. Committed Members
Committing to participate in writing workshop hold the same responsibility to committing to a bowling league. Your presence, energy and focus are expected and needed each time the group meets. For writers this means preparation. Reading and giving serious thought before responding to the piece before you is your job. Looking for reflection and narrative flow are things you will become used to when work shopping the work of your peers.
Degree Not Necessary: Love of Words Mandatory
You don’t need a degree to write. You do need structure and writing language to write well. A love of words and writing tools that include a good dictionary, thesaurus, and a grammar book are excellent starting blocks for the aspiring writer.
This is part of the education process for writers. It doesn’t matter if one is formerly trained as writer or if one writes as a novice from the heart we learn from reading writing styles and imposing our own voices.
3. Constructive Criticism
Part of being a writer is hearing the good and not so good about the quality of our work. Rule of thumb is that you won’t please everyone and someone is bound to lose your point. The good news is someone will be touched by your words, your experiences and your willingness to share your stories with others. Sometimes our thoughts are crystal clear to us and we find it darned hard to understand why anyone else can’t see what we do. That is another story in itself. Criticism helps us grow; we can almost always improve on a writing piece. Writing Workshops allow your work to breathe and grow.
