Like anything in life, it isn't always possible to be great at something at first. Critiquing a fellow writer in a writers' workshop is no different. But, with a good approach and a little practice, anyone can offer excellent advice to his fellow writer.
A Writers' Workshop is a Staple in the Creative Writing Classroom
Some creative writing classes resemble traditional classrooms, but many modern imaginative writing courses incorporate the writers' workshop. The workshop enables a writer to receive feedback not from one person (such as an instructor), but from several people, all of them writers. The thought behind the workshop experience is that a writer can perfect her piece when she receives feedback from multiple readers.
Of course, the difficult part is learning to give valuable feedback.
How to Give Productive Feedback in the Workshop Setting
While it might make someone a fun person to hang out with at a party, saying, “Oh, I like your ________ (fill in the blank)” is not helpful in the least when that person is offering feedback in a workshop. That sentence literally is just as unhelpful as saying, “I hated that poem/story/play from the book.”
What a reviewer needs to remember is that giving feedback will help the giver as much as the receiver. As a giver, it will help him scrutinize creative writing and allow him to realize what techniques make something enjoyable to him as a reader. As a receiver, it helps him “see” how readers interpret his piece and gives him ideas on how to make his piece better.
Everyone’s writing in the creative writing class has worth. Sometimes, at first blush, if a reader doesn't understand the piece or it isn't her usual "cup of tea," she might be tempted to dismiss the piece. She must push forward and find a way to give helpful feedback. In fact, the workshop group must find a way to help the reader/writer find ways to improve the piece. A reviewer saying she does or doesn’t like something is not helpful.
Specific Areas to Assess in a Piece of Creative Writing
It helps to know the kind of things to look for and say when giving feedback. The reviewer should avoid making judgment statements that begin with the phrases, "I like" or "I didn't like." Those sort of statements are not helpful to the writer. It doesn't necessarily hurt for a reviewer to tell a writer that he liked something, if only to let the writer know something in particular worked. After all, the group wants the writer to keep the things that work and not toss them out. However, it is best to explain what works and how it was effective instead of simply offering that something was liked.
Here are some things a reviewer should address when giving feedback:
- If it is fiction, is dialogue used? Is it believable? How does it sound when read aloud?
- For any type of writing, how is the imagery? Does the writer/poet engage all the senses? Can the reviewer see, hear, and even smell what is on the page?
- Does the writer do too much telling instead of showing?
- Are the words fresh or cliched?
- What suggestions does the reviewer have to help the writer in her revision?
- Did anything in the piece feel awkward or unbelievable?
- What sort of emotions did the piece evoke?
Obviously, there are many things a reviewer can address, but this approach-one of giving specific suggestions-is most helpful.
The Workshop as a Place of Respect and Cooperation
The main thing creative writers in the workshop need to keep in mind is that everyone has the same goal. It is best to approach each other with the utmost respect for one another's writing as well as the desire to see someone's piece become the best it can be while still remaining faithful to the author's original intentions and vision.
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