Getting the most from your experience

The Downers Grove Writers' Workshop (DGWW) has a history of successfully helping writers in all stages of their craft refine and hone their skills and their works.  Those who have gotten the most out of the experience have found the following guidelines to be helpful.
 
Attend regularly.  Most writers benefit just as much from listening to other writers’ presentations and the resulting discussions as they do from the discussions around their own works.  Plus, if you want others to aid you, it’s a good idea to be there for them as well.  Regular attendance also helps you stay current with what’s happening in other people’s work as it progresses over time.
 
Be prepared.  There are several things you can do to optimize the time you have to present and the feedback you receive when you share your work:

1. Read your work aloud to yourself. A little practice goes a long way in making a good presentation. The best writing falls easily off the tongue, so reading your work aloud before presenting it is an easy way to spot problems and address them before presenting.
2. Bring questions.  If you’re looking for insight or feedback from other members such as whether you’ve included irrelevant detail or whether your characters are lifelike, write them out in advance and bring them with you to the meeting. Limit your questions to the most important aspects that will help you to ensure they are not forgotten an so they can be covered in the time allotted.
3. Submit your work early.  Whenever it’s your turn to read, be sure to give the other members ample time to read and compile thoughtful comments on your work, ideally at least a week before the scheduled meeting.
4. Clean it up.  Do your best to provide a polished copy free from simple errors such as spelling and grammar.  This helps other members focus their attention on substance, not mechanics.
5. Set the stage.  When submitting work, write a simple one or two paragraph introduction to give your work context.  This lets other members know things like the genre and topic and provides background if you’re presenting part of an on-going work which acts as a refresher and lets readers know where the current work falls in your story as well as helps with the readers’ understanding of the setting and character motivation. 
6. Format for success. Structure your document for readability and feedback.  We recommend 1.5 line spacing, a font size of at least 12pt, and add your name (and e-mail address, if desired) to the top of the first page. Please remember to number your pages (preferably center bottom) for reference. 
7. Be fair.  We recommend that presenters keep the work they share to somewhere between 2,500 – 3,500 words.  We always want to be sure that each presenter is given time to share their work and receive feedback.

 
Present like a pro.  There are several things you can do to optimize the usefulness of the feedback you receive.

1. Be efficient.  Make sure to read at a good pace, and don’t spend time making corrections if you misspeak. 
2. Maintain focus.  Stay focused on your reading and don’t spend time adding your own commentary… that’s what the other members will contribute.
3. Listen.  Most writers find it most productive to make a conscious effort to remain silent while their work is being discussed.  It’s easy to feel the need to defend or make explanations when your work is being critiqued but recognize the feedback for what it is and try to objectively understand what may be of value to you.
4. Be gracious.  For many people it’s challenging to critique someone else’s work to their face, and their doing so is to help.  It’s always nice to let them know you appreciate their feedback. 

 
Give as good as you get.  You’re here to get feedback from others, and they’re here to get feedback from you.  These are some pointers to make it effective and valuable.

1. Be kind and constructive.  Tone and focus are important.  Criticism can be difficult to take for some people, so how you deliver it is important.
2. Use the “Critique Sandwich”.  Balancing your critique is key.  Writers need to know what they’re doing right just as much as they need visibility to where they can improve.  The “critique sandwich” leverages a strategy of compliment / critique / compliment.
3. Praise the writer; criticize the work.  As an example, "You've done a good job of evoking visual imagery." But: "This piece needs smoother transitions between sections."
4. Be specific.  Vague feedback can make it difficult for the writer to understand or implement constructive feedback.  As an example, saying “The work should have less explanation to keep it moving” is more productive and actionable than “I found the piece boring”.  In putting together feedback, you can learn a lot by figuring out why a piece is good or bad and how best to express that insight.
5. Stay on target.  Make sure your feedback maintains focus on what the writer has done well and on how the work can improve.  Avoid digressions about such things as how much your kids would enjoy the work or how it reminds you of your vacation.
6. Do as you say.  Critiquing others is an excellent way to learn, so keep track of your advice to others.  It can be embarrassing to make mistakes yourself after you’ve pointed them out in others’ works.
7. Don’t steal the show.  Writers tend to be creative people, and it’s easy to start filling in the blanks, but resist the urge to “write the scene” for someone else.