Writing groups can be destructive to individuality and creativity. They can sometimes offer insightful feedback, but don’t let your story become their story. Write your truth your way.
Writing groups can be destructive to individuality and creativity. They can sometimes offer insightful feedback, but don’t let your story become their story. Write your truth your way.
I've been lucky in that I've belonged to two very supportive, perceptive and honest writing groups; but even here, we still have to remind ourselves from time to time that feedback which - consciously or otherwise - starts with the phrase 'The way I'd write it is - ', generally isn't of much use.
Even in one of these two groups, I had a huge wake-up call when we went to see a production of a play that is undoubtedly a stone-cold masterpiece, and one of the other writers really didn't like it. The epiphany being, no matter how I re-wrote the piece I was working on, it would never please anyone.
I'd always sort of known that, and had even said several times I'd sooner write something that got half one-star reviews, and half five-star reviews, than something that got three stars off everybody. Still good to have it demonstrated so clearly, though.
Yes, I would observe that 'critique' and 'truth' should not to be used in the same context. By its nature, critique is *subjective* and definitely *not* universal!
Writing groups can be destructive to individuality and creativity. They can sometimes offer insightful feedback, but don’t let your story become their story. Write your truth your way.
Yes! In my experience there are some group members who try to make my story their story. This type of criticism is absolutely no use to me.
I've been lucky in that I've belonged to two very supportive, perceptive and honest writing groups; but even here, we still have to remind ourselves from time to time that feedback which - consciously or otherwise - starts with the phrase 'The way I'd write it is - ', generally isn't of much use.
Even in one of these two groups, I had a huge wake-up call when we went to see a production of a play that is undoubtedly a stone-cold masterpiece, and one of the other writers really didn't like it. The epiphany being, no matter how I re-wrote the piece I was working on, it would never please anyone.
I'd always sort of known that, and had even said several times I'd sooner write something that got half one-star reviews, and half five-star reviews, than something that got three stars off everybody. Still good to have it demonstrated so clearly, though.
Yes, I would observe that 'critique' and 'truth' should not to be used in the same context. By its nature, critique is *subjective* and definitely *not* universal!