“Any rejections to celebrate, this month?”

I was at my first ever in-real-life writers’ group, and the organizer started the meeting by handing a microphone around the room, and asking people to celebrate what they’d achieved in their writing life, since they last met.

Celebrate rejections? What kind of group is this?!, I thought, sure I was in the wrong place.

It was the one of many ways I’ve had my expectations upended, on this writing journey.

The longer I’ve stayed in the writing trenches, the more I’ve come to appreciate the deep wisdom of that group’s leader, writer Gary Zenker.

• Rejection is scary
• Sending our work out into the world is scary
• Starting a story and it-not-living-up-to-our-hopes-for-it is scary

But what’s the alternative?

Do nothing? Give up?

I think not!

You have a gift, an interest in writing, a curiosity about life.

Where better to explore that, than in writing?

And yes, showing your work to other people, and inviting their feedback on it, can be scary. But it’s how we grow.

When we exercise our muscles, we tear the fibers. It hurts. Our limbs ache. And then they rebuilt…stronger.

Scary doesn’t mean: don’t do it.

Sometimes scary means just the opposite.

Here’s wishing your courage on your writing journey this week.

Feedback Forum

It’s February and that means it’s Critique month, here at StoryADay.

Tomorrow, I’ll be sending you an invitation to join a select group of thoughtful, striving, courageous writers, who get together at least three times a year, to share their work, and to provide feedback for others.

Reasons to let other writers read your work:

• Sometimes what’s in our head doesn’t quite reach the page. When other writers are confused, that’s a useful signpost.
• It’s hard to see when the pace slows or goes too fast. Fresh eyes can help with that.
• Sometimes we don’t know how good our writing is. There’s a temptation to edit out the parts that are unique to your voice. Other writers can highlight what’s working.

So, watch your inbox for that invitation to join us.

What kind of experiences have you had with feedback or critique in the past?Leave a comment and let me know. 

(Don’t worry, yours won’t be the first horror story I’ve heard…that’s what I’ve set up my Critique Weeks to remedy!)