The Writer’s Group: Benefits of a Non-Academic Workshop
It wasn’t until I attended my first workshop class at Towson University that I understood the benefits of having a room full of readers. Back then, I didn’t place much stock in what others thought about my writing. I was young and overly confident, and I believed that I knew better than all others in my class. Only the professor's opinion mattered. This, of course, was a faulted belief.
After my first creative nonfiction workshop, I felt ashamed of that belief.
One particular classmate, whose work was under consideration for publication, wrote an eloquent essay about his family struggles and used Kierkegaard to thread philosophy throughout the narrative. When he finished reading, I had chills. I looked down at my essay about a drunken ten-mile walk I took along the beach early one summer morning, my flimsy attempt at surrealism a la exhaustion, and felt that shame even further. I left that workshop both disheartened but inspired— insignificant yet boundless. Each subsequent semester, I signed up for workshop after workshop, determined to improve.
The Loss of Direction
After years of reliance on academic workshops, I was at a loss upon graduating. No longer did I have a way to gauge what others thought of my writing. I set out to finish what became my second collection of poetry, Delirium. Once the book was published, I hit a wall.
I was paralyzed by the overwhelming sense that I now had to figure out who I was as a writer rather than being directed. Each story or poem I wrote felt too forced, too literary. I wasn’t excited to create. There was dread when I sat at my writing desk. I turned to podcasts for inspiration, but that fueled my self-doubt. Imposter syndrome had taken hold; I struggled to convince myself that I was ever a writer.
Eventually, I took advice from the editor-in-chief of a journal I applied to work at (I didn’t get the job) who told me to commit time to volunteer work.
During our phone call, she told me that she, unfortunately, wanted someone with more experience but wanted to tell me “in person” that she couldn’t hire me as a courtesy. Before we hung up, I asked how I could get more experience if I can’t get hired because of a lack of experience. She said something along the lines of, “If you want to get anywhere in the literary world, you have to have experience—even if you don’t get paid for the work.”
So, I applied for volunteer opportunities anywhere I could find to gain experience. And shortly after I sent out applications, I was brought on as a copyeditor for Newfound. And one of the great benefits I’ve had since joining has been the seasonal writing workshops.
Because they’re non-academic, there are unique benefits to participating that I found to be far more beneficial than the academic variety.
The Benefits of Non-Academic Workshops
Low Pressure
The writing that you share with others around is not graded. There are no penalizations for the mistakes made other than criticism. While some might find this to be a drawback, leaving too much room for lackadaisical writing that’s hashed together last minute (which I found to be more often the case with academic workshops), I found that this low-pressure discussion allows more reader-based feedback rather than a response to a specific prompt.
This low-pressure workshop also allows for more diversity in the work that is read and the work that is shared. Within the Newfound workshop, I’ve been in groups with writer’s who share short fiction and nonfiction, as well as excerpts from novels and longer projects they’re hard at work on.
It’s a great place to test new writing styles and forms because of the low-pressure nature of non-academic workshops.
Authentic Discussions
Since they are low press, they allow for more authentic discussion and discourse. There’s no need to be performative or to follow a prompt. And it also can be encouraging to those who might not feel confident enough to speak in academic settings since non-academic workshops are far more relaxed. The atmosphere tends to be more welcoming, and the feedback received more genuine since there are no factors that require others to speak, such as a participation grade.
More Accessible
Non-academic workshops offer lower pressure which lowers anxiety which creates a welcoming atmosphere which encourages newcomers.
This means that they are far more accessible—cost aside—than academic workshops. Often, it’s intimidating to be in an academic setting. Even during my final year at Towson did I feel unsure whether I had the authority to speak on certain subjects, despite my professors encouragement to share my thoughts more often.
With that higher accessibility comes a more diverse workshop group. Writers of all different ilk, varying in skill and background, are able to participate which allows for a well-rounded understanding of where your writing stands and allows for new feedback from different individuals more often.
The more eyes you have on your work, the more feedback can be gathered. And while it is possible to write in a vacuum, it does take a village to raise a child.
