Reading Response 1, Week 4

The chapter on work shopping made me reevaluate an aspect of writing that I think a lot of writers in training take for granted, reading. Personally I became interested in creative writing, and writing in general through reading authors like Baldwin and Ellison, wanting to replicate those great techniques they used to write amazing stories. Unfortunately, I did not pay enough attention to their texts like an architect and instead just read for pleasure. In the workshop by examining the different texts and finding ways to explain what you thought that it did well and things it could improve on you start to read differently and evaluate work in a critical eye. The chapter also brought up another important aspect of critique: detachment from personal bias. Instead of saying “ I don’t like this because it sounds bland,” critics must learn to change their own language in describing more in-depth the problem with the piece. It tells us to avoid the American Idol personality contest, avoiding empty language even if the piece is not written that well. Also I used to think that asking question of the text was useless, because it would become a circular process, but when posing questions of the, especially in a group, the other critics can help answer those questions or at least find a much more tangible change to what should happened in the work. Lastly, I look forward to writing workshops and having my own work critiqued because I will get to listen to all of the comments, but also think about how people see changes and incorporating them.