A writing workshop can challenge and inspire you. It can turn a wannabe writer into a real, words-on-paper writer. Here are ways to get the most from attending a writing workshop.

Do your homework. Often participants get a writing assignment to do before the first class. Read the directions carefully and write the assigned piece. Don't wait until the last minute or there won't be time to polish it. Let it age overnight, then read it with a fresh eye and make revisions.

Be willing to read your writing to the group whenever the leader asks for for a volunteer. Modesty won't get you the valuable feedback you need. The workshop provides a great opportunity to get immediate response to what you write. Take advantage of that.

Listen to the other participants when they make suggestions for your writing. Don't immediately jump in and refute their ideas. Our instincts are to protect and defend our fledgling efforts. Our words on paper are precious to us. Listen. Make notes. Ask them to elaborate. Listen. Mull over their ideas. Whether you change the piece or not, it's important to listen to what they say. Exposing our writing to others and then learning from their input is an important part of a writing workshop.

It's not all about you. Pay attention when others read their work. Think about what might improve the piece. Be sure to give a positive comment, before diving in with something that might be criticism. Remember they want your help and input, but don't crush any writer's hopes and dreams. Ideally all the writers at the workshop will be candid, yet considerate when offering a critique.

Trust your leader. When given a writing exercise to do during the workshop, put your all into following the directions. Don't discount it as not being your genre or not fitting your writing needs. It might surprise you or shift your thinking. Give it a try and you may discover that you enjoy writing poetry more than you expected or that you have an aptitude for another writing form or style that's totally unexpected.

Ask questions. Don't start a writing exercise without clarifying points you didn't understand. Maybe it's a literary term or you aren't sure what free-writing means. It's better to ask than to end up going down the wrong track.

At the end of the workshop, share your contact information with other participants and ask for theirs. Keep in touch through email or even an annual let's-meet-for-lunch. The bonds formed in the workshop among writers make a valuable network for you. Keep in touch and e-mail them to ask about their writing and share your efforts with them.

By making these efforts, a writer can find a writing workshop experience inspirational and a time of growth.

Learn more about this author, Virginia Allain.
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