Writer Fuel: Rethinking the Way We Workshop

Writer Fuel: Rethinking the Way We Workshop

Once upon a time, a workshop was considered a place where you did the work. Think of a carpenter’s workshop, with sawdust covering the tables and coils or scraps of wood littering the floors. Or consider Santa’s workshop, where elves engage in the cheery job of making toys for all the good little children of… Read more »

writing workshop

#5onFri: Five Tips for Finding the Right Workshop

Really, I never expected accolades. I’d prepared myself for the tough feedback I hoped would help me grow as a writer. I may be an accomplished columnist but I have much to learn about writing fiction. I didn’t anticipate praise but neither did I expect to leave feeling like something scraped off the sidewalk. But,… Read more »

Writing Workshop: How To Tell When You Need That Boost

Few writers can thrive in isolation. Sooner or later, we all need a little boost in our writing, some external structure to help us make the jump to the next level. And a writing workshop can be a great way to do that. When I use the term “writing workshop” I’m talking about a group… Read more »

The Bubble Method: How to Get the Most Out of a Writing Workshop

There are many types of writing workshops out there, some more effective than others at giving you useful feedback on your writing.  Whether you’re new to the workshop scene or have been participating in critique sessions for a long time, there’s one workshop method that’s been proven time and again to help writers improve their… Read more »

Critique vs. Discussion: What Kind of Feedback Do You Need?

We have a rule in the workshop I teach: we’ll critique any work as long as the writer has not yet submitted it for publication.  When it comes to discussion, we’ll discuss any piece of writing published or not.  Why this distinction between critique and discussion?  And what exactly is the difference between the two? … Read more »

3 Things To Look For In a Critique Community

This week at DIY MFA we are working on something new and exciting: we’re creating a DIY MFA writing community.  The plan is to use the DIY MFA Facebook page to create a forum where writers (that’s you!) can give and receive feedback to each other.  We’re still working out the details so stay tuned… Read more »