How to Regroup After a Tough Crowd

I had a tough workshop recently, in which a new story I had written got a pretty thorough going-over. My classmates and professor agreed that the story lacked a clarity and purpose; they weren’t sure what kind of story they were reading. While I’m glad to get these comments, at the time it was a pretty tough blow. I felt disappointed in myself and even a little envious of the stories other classmates had handed in. I want to talk about this experience today, and point out that we’re all likely to have a fall like this at one time or another; but we can regroup.

The first feeling you might experience after a tough critique of your work is sour grapes. We’re all human, after all, and in order to avoid hurt, we often try to blame it on someone else. You might blame your critic for having dumb opinions, poor taste, or for merely echoing others so as to sound popular. “They’re just saying that to sound cool and dismissive”, you might think. I know that for a brief time I thought it. But if you really want your work to improve, you’ve got to let thoughts like these go.

The next thing you might feel is actual hurt and disappointment. I’ve never had a really tough workshop; this was my first in which some pretty major changes needed to be made to make this story strong. I began to question my writing ability, particularly compared to my classmates. They had been doing so well; their stories clearly had something mine didn’t; they would leave me in the dust. It’s important to let this feeling pass too. One rough critique should not make you question your writing ability in general. Critics come and go; the writers that succeed are the ones who adapt, learn, and persevere.

So what is the next step? Where do I go from here? After a little time to recover and lick my wounds, I’m beginning to feel the slightest amount of excitement about the story again. I still think it has some potential; my classmates gave me good comments, and it’s up to me to invest the energy a good revision requires.