NCWW Writing Workshop

Hello everyone,

Here are some of the basics for our writing workshop:

-Each meeting we pick three volunteers who would like to submit. (2 submissions, with one backup). You can find who these people are by looking at the comments section of this event.

-The writers picked for submissions will put their works in a Dropbox file Thursday prior to the meetup (this gives us 1 week to review). Please provide your email in the comments or reach out to one of the submitting writers if you need to be added to Dropbox. They are organized by date.

-Prose submissions have a word limit of 5,000 words. Anything beyond that will be optional reading. Poetry submissions have a limit of up to 3 poems, not to exceed 1000 words each. (If you write long, epic poetry, please follow the prose word count).

-We ask writers to use Rich Text Format (.rtf) or Google Docs (.docx) because we can all open it and those submitting electronic reviews can add their comments online with that format. Please use 12pt font (1.5 spacing or double), page numbers, and Times New Roman or a similar font. Please include a cover sheet (or last page, if you prefer) with any questions or specific pain points you want feedback on. It is okay to say "tear my work to pieces because I want to get published and if you don't an editor will," or to say "hey, this is the first thing I've ever written, I want help but keep in mind I'm just a beginner." An example cover sheet with feedback requests is available in Dropbox.

-If your submission has content that may trigger readers, please include content warnings at the beginning of the submission.

-On giving feedback: At the meeting, reviews are given one at a time, with time limits, and are presented in front of the whole group. It is okay to pass. This format ensures everyone has the chance to talk, should they have feedback for the submitter. Time limits for sharing are determined by the number of people that are there.

Observing and attending a few meetings should give you a good idea of how our group does reviews. You can also refer to the feedback posted on Dropbox and/or in our Discord group. If you’re new to critiquing or need a refresher, there is a helpful "On Critiquing" folder in the Dropbox. Reviewers can critique in any way, as we all have different strengths. However, a writer may post things that they want you to look out for as well.

When reviewing work, pay attention to what type of feedback the author is looking for. Take into consideration the author’s background and experience level as well as your own. If you have expertise in a certain area, share that! If you aren’t as familiar with a genre, setting, or scenario, share that, too! We think the strength of group critique is in the diversity of perspectives we bring to the table.

-We ask that new members just observe the first meeting they attend to get a sense of how our group functions. We also ask that you attend a few meetings and share reviews before submitting your own writing. This is to help you get comfortable, get to know us, and make sure you’re committed to participating. It isn’t fair to committed members if someone comes in, gets a review, and never returns.

-One final note: All levels are welcome. We all want to grow, develop, and enrich our writing. However, be respectful to all. Critical, hurtful comments are not welcome. Honest, constructive feedback is. If you don’t like a particular genre or style, try to set aside personal preferences and just evaluate the strength of the author’s craft. After all, we’re here to grow!

If you have questions, feel free to ask. We look forward to seeing you at our next event!

Host or Publisher Northern Connecticut Writers Workshop