I've had good & bad workshops over the years. The good ones offer some degree of validation, although I admit I don't always know which comments to take to heart & which to ignore. The worst thing I ever heard in a workshop (and this was at a graduate writing program) was a well-regarded author telling a student that his writing was so bad he shouldn't have been admitted to the program! Two years later the student's novel was published with a full-page very positive review in the NY Times Sunday Book Review. On the other side of the coin, I once had a teacher who consistently praised a certain student's work, once even calling it "genius." Because I thought his work was average at best, I started wondering if they were having an affair (something that's been known to happen in writing workshops). Ultimately, I've grown wary, although I hope to find another good workshop at some point in the future. Thanks for your post!
I'm always flummoxed (and irritated) by workshop instructors who tell a student point blank that they shouldn't be writing. Let the poor sods figure it out on their own.
I've had good & bad workshops over the years. The good ones offer some degree of validation, although I admit I don't always know which comments to take to heart & which to ignore. The worst thing I ever heard in a workshop (and this was at a graduate writing program) was a well-regarded author telling a student that his writing was so bad he shouldn't have been admitted to the program! Two years later the student's novel was published with a full-page very positive review in the NY Times Sunday Book Review. On the other side of the coin, I once had a teacher who consistently praised a certain student's work, once even calling it "genius." Because I thought his work was average at best, I started wondering if they were having an affair (something that's been known to happen in writing workshops). Ultimately, I've grown wary, although I hope to find another good workshop at some point in the future. Thanks for your post!
I'm always flummoxed (and irritated) by workshop instructors who tell a student point blank that they shouldn't be writing. Let the poor sods figure it out on their own.
And P.S. Instructor--you might be wrong!
Love this! I’m in two workshop groups and recognized many of my own feelings in these points. Thanks.
Thank you for reading, Julie!