Workshop Etiquette For Receiving Feedback

Receiving feedback on your writing can be exciting, but it can be just as intimidating—especially in a workshop setting. Instead of perusing through comment-laden copies of your WIP one at a time and at your own pace, workshops can feel like you're in the hot seat in the middle of a coliseum because you've got several people voicing their opinions at once. It can be a lot to take in.

I've been in my fair share of writing workshops, albeit limited to structured classroom settings and more casual critiques with writer friends, though many conventions and retreats offer workshops as part of the itinerary.

Workshops often rely on a blend of unspoken and explicitly stated guidelines to keep things fun, fair, and flowing smoothly.

This is one of two posts highlighting workshop etiquette for writers on the receiving end of feedback.

Keep Your Mind Open

The whole objective of workshops is getting feedback to improve your writing. Sometimes, that feedback takes you by surprise.

Those providing feedback may catch on to things you didn't notice or intend when you wrote the piece, have questions you didn't expect, or make suggestions that (for better or for worse) don't align with your vision.

More likely than not, these critiques are coming from a genuine desire to improve your writing. Take them gracefully, even if you're sitting there thinking, "There's no way in Hell I'm doing that!"

Speaking of which...

Keep Your Mouth Shut

This is not a universal rule. My critique group is more conversational when we're workshopping, with ample room for the recipient to ask and answer questions about their WIP. However, workshop sessions during any of the creative writing courses I took in college were a little different. If you were receiving peer feedback on a writing sample, you were asked to quietly absorb it and not interject.

That was for a couple of reasons. First, it helped keep things on track. Even though my college classes were small, maybe about twenty-ish people on average and often fewer, it was still a lot of feedback to get through in a limited timeframe that would often end up divided up so two or three people's projects could be workshopped.

I also think it was about keeping things professional. A small taste of what a writer can expect upon entering the publishing sphere for real. Chances are, your agent, editors, and other folks are going to say things about your writing you may not 100% agree with, either in the moment or ever. And you will absolutely have readers and reviewers expressing those sentiments. It's just the nature of the game.

Where industry peeps are concerned, it's generally wise to avoid getting defensive about your writing and trying to reason with them because while they probably do want to improve your manuscript to make it the best it can possibly be, publishing is a business and they have to take those considerations into account. If you are too resistant to their suggestions and get argumentative, they could end up dropping you as a client (e.g., over creative differences).

Meanwhile, there are many examples of authors getting into tiffs with readers who post a lower rating of their book or when a netizen's innocent comment is perceived as intentionally offensive by the author who feels compelled to give them the ol' what-for. Putting a reader on blast or going to war over your book in the comment section is not a good look, and the court of public opinion has been known to put those authors on their do-not-read list if those interactions cross a line.

You can't reach through the pages and confront your readers or explain what they aren't "getting." Your book will become its own separate entity.

Depending on the workshop, you may be able to clarify things if asked or ask a few follow-up questions, but the general rule of thumb is to let those providing feedback have the floor.

Send Out Your Pages In A Timely Manner

At the end of the day, those providing feedback in a workshop are doing the recipient a favor, so it's important to respect your readers' time by sending your pages out in a timely manner.

I personally prefer at least one or two weeks in advance if you're sending out thirty pages or so, with a longer timeframe if you're sending out a larger chunk; for example, my writing group set a deadline about a month out when we were critiquing the back half of someone's novel.

Respecting your workshop peers' time isn't just a courtesy.

Giving them your draft in advance gives them sufficient time to read it thoroughly and provide plenty of insightful feedback. In other words, it's to your benefit, too!

Frame Your Intentions Where Appropriate (But Leave Room For Interpretation)

For an effective workshop session, it can be helpful to outline the kinds of feedback you're looking for. This can be as broad as an overall vibe check or as specific to your WIP as you need. The workshops I've participated in usually allowed you to include a few questions for your readers to address in their critiques (for a list of example questions, pop over to this post).

Having said that, I want to circle back to my point about keeping an open mind during writing workshops because it also applies here: when framing your WIP ahead of receiving critiques, leave room for interpretation. Your readers might see aspects of your writing differently, and that insight can prove helpful in the long run. Once your book is on the shelves, your interpretations of the work no longer matter. It's about what your reader takes away from it. Workshops can give you a smattering of how future readers may receive your story, giving you a chance to either rework parts of it so your ideas are communicated more clearly or even embrace an entirely new direction that suits your story more than what you'd originally planned.

Give Yourself Time To Process

Writing workshops can leave you feeling inspired and excited to jump into your next draft or revisions.

Hold off for a sec, okay?

Give yourself time to process all of the feedback you've gotten (if your readers have done their part, you'll have a lot to go through!). In the writing classes I took in college, we'd be encouraged to write a couple of paragraphs detailing any feedback beyond the questions asked by the classmate whose work we were critiquing, which is why I include a bonus "anything else you'd like me to know?" space when I've sent things off to my writing group. These written responses might include things that weren't covered during the workshop or offer additional context to your readers' remarks during the session.

Don't skim over these notes!

I like to set aside some time to review feedback post-workshop, usually a day after. This allows me to look at everything more objectively. I also like to compile a list of running themes, such as an issue highlighted by more than one reader, so I can stay organized and know what to prioritize in revisions.

Follow All Rules And Guidelines (Even Those Not Listed Here)

Obviously, I cannot speak to every workshop out there, but I know this much: every workshop has its rules and guidelines. Like I mentioned earlier, my writing group's workshops open the floor for the writer to ask and answer questions, whereas the ones I did in college asked that the critiqued writer be a silent participant.

No matter which side of the feedback you're on, it's your obligation to abide by the rules of the workshop. They're in place to facilitate respectful conversations, keep those conversations on track, and make sure everyone gets all they can out of the session.

Because even if your writing isn't being critiqued that day, there's still plenty of insight to be gleaned from a successful workshop!

What pieces of workshop recipient etiquette would you add to this list? Do you have any fun memories or horror stories from writing workshops you've participated in? Tell me all about it in the comments!