Photo Credit: MadLabUK
As I’ve stated before, I am student at a medium-sized university. Classes began for the new semester yesterday, and of the six that I am taking, two are workshop courses. One is an advanced nonfiction workshop, where all of the students know one another and respect each others’ work.
The other is a screen-writing workshop with many students who have never been in a workshop before.
The mere idea of writing workshops tend to traumatize most students and writers who are not accustomed to them, but there is no need for that to happen; they can be one of the most useful resources to a writer! It just requires a little work to benefit the most from them.
3. Do the work
This may seem self explanatory, but you would be amazed at the number of students who threw together a draft the night before it was to be presented. Here’s a hint:
Everyone can tell when you haven’t given the proper time that a piece deserves.
Even if you think it is fine, small mistakes show through; a misspelled word here, a missed comma there. Besides, if you really want to benefit from the workshops, you must do the work beforehand.
Most of you will have spent hours pouring over your piece, writing and editing it. First drafts are not good workshop pieces.
Yes, everyone in the workshop understands that a first draft sucks. They always do. The only purpose of a first draft is to get it down on paper.
The job of the second and third drafts and beyond is to improve. Those are the best ones to turn into workshops – second and third drafts that you have spent time molding into the story you want to tell, not the story that originally poured out onto the page.
2. Read the drafts you are to review
If you submit a piece, you don’t want people to glance over it, point out a comma splice, and trash it. You want them to read in detail, taking all into account and give you good, constructive criticism.
You should do the same in return.
Take the time a few days before; read over the work when it is submitted, jot down some notes, and then take the time to process it. Later, when you think you understand the plot, read over the piece again and look for grammatical mistakes, plot holes, poor syntax, etc.
The student whose work is under review will appreciate it, I promise. He or she is likely already terrified enough to have writing critiqued by a committee of peers that someone who takes the time to care will earn their undying gratitude.
1. Do. Not. Take. It. Personally.
I cannot stress this enough. If someone says your work is horrible but can give no reasons why, then chances are they did not read it. If they didn’t read it, then they can’t really say it’s no good, can they?
If someone says, “It was good, but I don’t really like it…” or something else similarly half-baked, ignore it.
There is a difference between criticism and constructive criticism.
However, when someone lays out problems in fine detail, and takes the time to explain why it does not work, you should listen. If the reviewer intimately understands the storyline and shows you the trouble with it, no matter how harsh they might be, it is not an assault on you.
They are trying to help you improve your own work.
Take notes; mark up your own copy of your draft. Find mistakes and see how they could be improved. Just don’t forget one thing: you make the final decision. If after careful consideration you still do not agree with the critique, then don’t follow it.
Write your own story. Don’t be bound by ‘standards’ that are constantly changing.
Writing Workshops: Not so bad after all?
I was in the first workshop I’d ever taken last semester, and I found it difficult to sit quietly while my work was critiqued. It’s in our nature to jump up and defend it, to tell the critic, “No, you read it wrong!” We can’t do that.
Workshops are a chance to let your work be seen. Enjoy that – later, while toiling away on your own, you may not have the benefit of a counsel of peers to read and review. And writing workshops can be fun. As one student said yesterday, “I don’t really need this class, but I wanted a workshop to keep me sane during all the others.”
All criticism can be constructive, it just depends on how you take it. Even negative, malicious criticism can prove beneficial if you keep in mind that not everyone is entitled to like your work.
Just remember: if you show respect to both the author and their works, then they will, in return, show it to you. Who knows? Some of the most well-known screen writers today were discovered during writing workshops. Might you be next?
Additional: What to Do with Unfair Criticism
Do you have any workshop stories? Post and share below.
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