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There’s a lot of talk on the internet right now about the writing workshop, so I thought I’d put in my two cents.
People are talking about what it means for someone else to tell you that your writing sucks (see here, here, and here). Well, this never happens in any of my graduate writing workshops. Even the ones I was in during high school, a time when people are notoriously mean to each other, no one ever told me or anyone else “your writing sucks.”
I know, I know, I’m taking these bloggers too literally, but still, I feel compelled to respond to the sentiment behind these posts: No one in my writing workshop is malicious. The parameters have been set — we’re not here to trash each other’s writing or each other as writers. We are here to nurture, to be honest, to be constructive. We are all reminded that we are all good writers — we are all in this program, so we must be good writers. No point in being mean.
Even with writers that I completely don’t identify with, writers whose work doesn’t resonate with me, I am still able to find SOMETHING of value. I have the same philosophy about humanity: every person has something of value to contribute to society, every life is worth leading and living (sorry for the big metaphor).
Writers that I don’t like but can still appreciate are ones who do something with structure that I am unable to do. People who experiment with form and switch narrative voice in the middle of the piece and use line breaks as intentional structural elements — these are people whose writing I can appreciate even if I don’t like their workshop submission.
So even if I think their writing “sucks,” I still have something to say, even if only “wow, I could never do that.”
Capiche?
I’ve taken a few creative writing classes/workshops in college and one of the rules they try to teach everyone, and that I have taken even more to the extreme at Young Writers Online .net, is the idea of constructive criticism. Telling someone “you suck” is doing sod all to help them improve. The object of critique workshops and writing classes is to help someone improve, so if all you’re saying is negative junk about their work, without any significant criticism that can help them move forward, then you’re being useless.
Constructive criticism, to me, is key. But that’s me, and I’m weird.
I think there’s a definite difference between criticism and constructive criticism. Like SMD, I agree that if it’s constructive (i.e. “Your dialogue sucks, but here’s why and how you can improve”) there’s some good in it. But just saying “Your writing sucks” is a cop-out on the part of the critiquer.
There is a difference between ‘your writing sucks’ and workshopping. One of the virtues of the workshop is receiving a multiplicity of responses. But, more importantly, the workshop provides with readers who are able to explain why the things that don’t seem to work, don’t seem to work. Additionally, workshop readers are required to focus on your writing – and no other reader will be required to be focused in the same way. So, though the workshop readers must keep reading, they can let you know where they lost interest, why the lost interest in a technical way.
Hi Tanya.
You linked to my article for The Faster Times here, and I’d just like to clarify that I’m not talking about telling a writer that their work sucks – I’m taking about sucky writing days. When the experience of writing sucks. I’m talking about what that means and what to do about it.
I run creative writing workshops, and I’ve been teaching and coaching writers for years, and I would never, ever, EVER tell someone that their work “sucks.” I agree with what you state in your post – that being nurturing, honest and constructive is much more useful. So thanks for the link, but I just wanted to clarify that the sentiment behind my post is not actually negative, even if I’m using provocative language to make my point.
Thanks for the clarification, and I think I lumped your post in with the rest of them too hastily. Thanks for the comment!
Telling someone “your writing sucks” may feel good momentarily for the critic. The sting may last a lifetime for the recipient.
Specifying certain portions of the story that need work is (a) a whole different ballgame and (b) the point of criticism. In last years ABNA competition the reviewers did not like my dialog. I’ve spend the whole year working on dialogue, with great results.
Perhaps telling someone that certain aspects of a story suck … but only if the comment is made in the spirit of conciliation and received in the same way.
I’m in 2 writing groups now–there are different skill levels–some of the writing is so bad it is a constant effort to hold negative comments in-these are fiction writing groups–some members get into autobiography–memoir–rewrites (I’ve got trouble seeing stuff twice)–it’s easy to say something is great, when it is–
my only way of dealing–is to say–that’s not your best–or, that’s one of your best-to give a writer some direction–to focus on what they do best–what genre, for example–or to hold up on the narration & put more dialogue in–which seems to me to be a common failing–but then–I do some screenwriting–and like dialogue–so, what are some tips to use to gently prod writers in the right direction?
I joined a writing group recently, and think half of their value is that they are the only opportunity to get sustained attention for new writing. But one thing I began to realise – and maybe it was wrong of me to be put off by this – was that they are very cliquey.
The people that get praised are generally good, or able, but i’m not sure whether really disproportionate praise is really helpful at such an early stage. Secondly, from my experience of running a book club, I’ve realised that people will like or dislike things that are technically ‘fine’. Can writing really be done by committee?
I definitely plan to continue going, but I’m a bit wary of becoming completely dependent on the opinions of a few people.
Also, how important does everyone think it is for the head of such a group to be published himself? One of qualms about the group was that so few people talked about novels themselves.
[...] Does your writing suck? How about mine? Here’s a few thoughts from the interesting Lit Drift blog for people who are participating in writing workshops (or [...]