Update on ‘Write Your Novel’ program
It’s in!
Back in January I gave an update marking the halfway point of the ‘Write Your Novel’ program I’ve been working through, with the Australian Writers’ Centre.
This week my classmates and I have to submit our full manuscript for workshopping in small groups. So, we each submit our manuscript, and we have a month to read and comment on manuscripts submitted by two to three of our classmates.
A few minutes ago I clicked the ‘Submit’ button. How did it feel?
Scary – no one has as yet read my full draft. Will they like it? Hate it? Feel indifferent?
Exciting – the workshopping and feedback process in this program has been so useful to date. I just know I’ll get back comments that will help me make my story stronger.
There’s also a sense of responsibility to my classmates: to provide honest, worthwhile feedback to assist them in the way I hope to be helped along by them.
The feedback I’ve received on this program has been very worthwhile and certainly helped me to improve my writing.
As our online tutor, Cathie Tasker, has said:
It’s the arrogant authors who don’t make it.
Find the Australian Writers’ Centre programs here:
https://www.writerscentre.com.au/
2 Comments
FleurD
First of all, that’s rubbish. There are plenty of ‘arrogant authors’ who have ‘made it’ (define that however you like).
Denise Newton
That could well be true. I guess the point of the remark is that by being open to feedback, writers can make their writing stronger. Being completely closed off to others’ opinions risks writing in your own echo chamber.