Why is Writing Well so Difficult?

Why is writing well so difficult? It seems easy. When we talk, we don’t have difficulty communicating. On the other hand, our appraisal of our chatter is not strict, not until we have to make a speech or a presentation. And when we speak face to face we receive feedback—discussion, questions, body language—to check how well our message is coming across. Good writers make written communication seem natural, easy, almost […]

Tiresome critiqing

Many of us fiction-writing types belong to one or more critiquing exchanges. Stephen King has his wife and a writing friend that review his works. Writing classes or workshops are, in whole or in part, made up of reviewing and critiquing the efforts of the participants. I belong to a local writing group and loosely to a couple online groups (one forum, one email). Right now I’m finding critiquing difficult. […]

Critiques

It’s amazingly hard to accept and to do critiques. When I was a music major I always had a teacher; someone that knew a lot more than I did, someone who had years more experience than I did, someone that I trusted. After years of work with the instructors, with the directors, I developed a sense of rightness, of understanding, an ability to see the gaps between was is and […]