As an editor, writing coach and manager of an online writing community, I frequently encounter questions about how writers can receive feedback on their works-in-progress.
Often a writer new to my membership platform asks if they can post their work on the site so that others might read it and offer feedback.
A writing community where writers can both give and receive feedback is an incredible resource, and both receiving AND giving feedback makes you a better writer. Julia Cameron writes that “It often takes another artist to see the embryonic work that is trying to sprout.”
People want their work to be read. But I fear that too few people stop there, without asking what receiving feedback on their work is worth to them – or what receiving feedback even looks like.
This fall, I am excited to launch my first Small Writing Group Cohort, where I’ll help up to 10 writers learn how to give and receive meaningful feedback on their works-in-progress. Together, we’ll get to know each other’s work and learn what to look for when analyzing a piece of writing. Each writer will receive in-depth feedback on a work-in-progress of their choice, and at the end of the six-week cohort, they will have the opportunity to continue meeting as a dedicated writing group, armed with the resources and knowledge of what makes a strong critique. You can learn more and sign up for the Cohort here. (Note: If you’re a StoryCore member, please sign up inside the StoryCore community. See more on StoryCore here.)
But I want you to keep reading, because there is more than one way to receive feedback on a piece of writing.
About two years ago, I launched The Writers Salon, a free writing community focused on building lively and supportive dialogue around the thing that unites us: writing. I wanted to help writers find accountability, make time to write, and connect with other writers.
While these are all noble values, I found that some writers on the platform wanted more. They wanted their work to be seen and read. They wanted to know whether an idea they were bringing to life carried weight – whether it was good, whether it mattered.
One of the things I envisioned when I launched The Writers Salon was to build out Circles – small writing groups of 8-10 writers who could regularly come together based on genre, goals or even physical location. One way to receive feedback on your writing is to join a writing group. But not all writing groups are created equal. I wanted to offer an inviting space where writers could feel comfortable talking and asking questions about their work. You can use The Writers Salon to find other writers in your genre and personally reach out to them. Introduce yourself to those writers and ask if anyone would like to be part of a feedback group.
Another way to seek feedback on your work is to find an accountability partner. Accountability partners can be excellent resources for just about anything, including writing. Together, you establish goals and parameters for your writing practice, and you decide how you might exchange work for feedback. You can use The Writers Salon to seek an accountability partner or reach out to your own network of friends and creatives. Watch as both of you grow in your writing and in your creative output!
As a writer, editor and writing coach, I live to encourage people to tune in to their stories. I am your advocate, your cheerleader spurring you to write more and write better. If you want to get your work in front of others and see tremendous growth in your writing and storytelling skills, there is nothing like giving and receiving feedback on your drafts.
To re-cap, if you’re serious about getting your work in front of an audience to improve your writing and your storytelling and language skills, here are three ways to do it:
1) Use your own network or The Writers Salon to find other writers in your genre and personally reach out to them. Ask if anyone would like to be part of a writing critique group. A critique group needs structure and leadership, so be ready to answer questions about how the group will run, how often it will meet, and set parameters for how many words or pages you and others are willing to critique in exchange for critique of your own work.
2) Seek an accountability partner. A good accountability partner will help you clarify and stick to your goals, and you return the favor by doing the same for that person. Again, you can tap into your own network to seek an accountability or join us in The Writers Salon.
3) Join my first small writing group cohort and learn how to give and receive feedback on works-in-progress, nurtured alongside up to 10 writers.
When you seek feedback on your writing, it’s important to have some sort of structure in place, a set of expectations. Too often, when writers ask for feedback on a work-in-progress, they don’t take the next step by asking what they want to gain from that feedback.
When you join the Writing Group Cohort, you will receive feedback on a work-in-progress, from myself and other writers in the group. You will also be asked to offer feedback to others’ works-in-progress. At the end of our time together, you will have the option to continue in the small group that you spent the previous six weeks getting to know. You finish the cohort with a ready-made writers group.
When it comes to receiving feedback on your work, you can figure out the details on your own. Or, you can be a part of a dedicated small group that already has the structure in place for you.
Remember, the more you put into your writing and giving and receiving feedback, the more you’ll get out of it. If I can help you with anything along the way, please reach out. I want to help you build your story, bring your idea to life and reach more people with your words!
