2008
 Criticism,
like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man’s growth
without destroying his roots.
Frank A. Clark
Notes:
Writing exercises provide a number of
things to the aspiring author. They can break through writer’s
block, brainstorm ideas for stories or writing content, and
sparks creativity to help hone the skill of writing.
Tips:
- Develop good working habits for your
writing. This includes ridding distractions in your
environment and developing a routine for your work.
- Set daily or weekly goals for your
writing. This could be word counts or a number of poems,
articles, stories, etc.
- Remember that most good writing offers
solutions to problems, whether this is a conflict in fiction
stories, or solutions through non-fiction venues.
 Exercises:
- Write for five minutes on what you’d
like to change or what you like about the writing group. Be
honest.
- Pick a writing prompt card, and write
for ten minutes.
Critiquing:
 The
goal of providing criticism and review to writing is to help the
author improve and polish their work. This could include
something they may have left out, such as vital information to
help smooth the plotline out or insight in their use of grammar.
Ask yourself:
Do I understand what the writing is about?
Does it move me or provoke emotion?
What are the strengths as opposed to
weaknesses of the writing piece? For instance, is there good
character development or clear sentences? Does the writer use
passive or active Voice?
Be honest in your opinion.
On the receiving end, listen carefully to
the review of your work. Take notes, and weigh opinions to what
you want your writing to convey.
Acknowledge that even bad reviews that
offer help to improve is a writer’s precious commodity. This
will help streamline and sharpen your skills.
Rewrites of your work should be seen as
inevitable. Many writers edit/rewrite on average three times
before publishing their work.
http://www.writersvillage.com/character/index.htm - includes
character building workshop that is free.
http://sartkras.edwebhosting.com/minilessons/index.html mini
lessons on grammar
http://www.wisc.edu/writetest/Handbook/index.html free
online writing handbook on writing, grammar, and more.
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