I was really worried about the work-shopping aspect of this course. I'm used to teachers and professors telling me what does and doesn't work in my writing, as they've been doing that my whole educational career However, I'm pretty used to just going back to my work and doing exactly what I'm told would improve it. I've never spent a lot of time defending my choices, or even politely disagreeing with a professor, and doing what I know is right for the piece. I appreciate that in this class and in the Zinsser book, I've been encouraged to consider the criticism, and make a good choice on what to keep and what to change. I'm not bad at being told what to do, but I'm a lot better at being encouraged, and constructively criticized.
I feel that I could certainly stand up to an overzealous editor. I'm learning that not only do I have to take ownership of my piece of work, but also the entire writing/editing/proofreading process. Like my children, no one is going to be the advocate for my piece but me. As a writer, it's my responsibility to nurture and protect my work.
As far as the peer review goes...I've loved it. What a blessing it is to be in class with kind, patient, talented people. I've been very happy with the feedback and encouragement I've received in the course. I'm not one to share a piece before it's completely finished, but I think I will give it a go from now on. Now, to find the right reviewers!
Jennifer, when you gather that small group of reviewers, make them people who are educated readers. I don't mean people who have advanced degrees and so forth, but people who read, enjoy reading, enjoy reading good writing, and read the type of writing you want to produce. It helps if they're also writers, but that's actually not necessary. However, they need to be willing to give you honest feedack, and not just the doting familial "that's lovely, dear." :-) And, once you have them gathered, hang onto them. :-) Folks you can trust to accurately and wisely provide feedback on your writing are rather a rarity--and worth their figurative weight in cheesecake. ;-)
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