Most readers are voracious. When they are small, they fall in love with that first book, and then they seek that thrill for the rest of their lives. These addicts always want more.
That’s the main reason writing is not a competitive sport. A single writer could never give enough.
Besides, writing is more fun when you do it with a team, and your final product is better this way too.
Members of a writing group buoy each other through dark nights of the soul, they help each other improve skills, and celebrate each others’ victories without jealousy. (Well, maybe with a little jealousy, but no venom.)
The synergy of a good writing group is something that you will look forward to as you sit alone, banging your paws on a keyboard.
How do you find this camaraderie? It starts by taking a risk. You share your work when it, and you, are most vulnerable. You let people not just read your first draft, but you also listen as they tell you what they think of it and how it made them feel. You sit back and hear the effects your writing has, and then you decide if those effects are in line with your intentions.
You read others works and offer your feedback, honestly but kindly sharing your reaction to the piece. This helps the other writers, of course. But learning to read and respond analytically also helps your own writing. You develop a better understanding of the various aspects of craft and you simultaneously practice implementing what you learn.
Sharing your drafts with other writers is scary at first, but the rewards are even more addicting than reading. Once you find this synergy, you won’t want to give it up.
Workshop Description:
In this four-week course, participants will be expected to submit five pages of a work in progress each week and give feedback on classmates’ submissions.
Brief written lessons will be provided each week.
Week 1: Being respectful. What is helpful and what’s not?
Week 2: Responding to feedback. In-group. While editing.
Week 3: Critiquing outside of your genre.
Week 4: Asking for help – understanding what you want to get from a feedback group.
Instructor Bio:
Fritze Roberts writes speculative fiction in both long and short form. A freelance editor, Fritze regularly presents at Pennwriters conferences and has been a member of the Fellowship of the Quill, a writing group that meets every week, for seven years.
To learn more, visit www.APeculiarProject.com
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