If you want to master the art of writing, attending a writers workshop is a must for you. Writers workshops can give you new perspectives and make you feel more comfortable as a writer. If you want to make writing your career, there is no better way to get started than by being surrounded by people who have already started or are in your position.
The benefits of attending writers workshops are many. Given below are just a few of them.
Meeting likeminded people
This is perhaps the best benefit of attending a writers workshop. You will find yourself in a room filled with those who are passionate about writing. You will not only be inspired, but feel comfortable too. And who knows? A lifelong friend or a writing partner could be waiting for you in one such workshop.
Self discovery
Writers are known to think things from different perspectives. As you sit in a workshop, listen and discuss with other writers, you may suddenly feel that divine commandment that sets you up as a writer. You may get to know whether writing is what you are destined for.
Finding your strengths and areas of improvement
As you discuss your work with your peers, you will come to know what is good about your writing and where you need to improve. Since the room will be filled with people who have charted the same path, they are going to make sure that even the harshest criticisms are presented in an acceptable manner.
Learning to handle criticisms
As you start handling critiques of your work, you may feel uncomfortable. After all, who likes to be criticized for their work? When you attend a workshop, you will suddenly start liking their suggestions. There will soon come a time when you look forward to receiving feedback for your work.
Adopting new techniques of writing
This is simple – as you listen to other writers describing their writing techniques, you are bound to learn something new. You may even end up adopting some of the new techniques that you learnt. At the same time, some other writers may benefit from learning about your writing technique.
Expanding your vision
As a writer, you are supposed to read and learn continuously. When you are in a room with other writers, you get to know about new writing works in the market. From the writers of horror stories to thrillers to period novels, you will get to meet them all in writers workshops. You will literally be forced to read more and expand your thought and vision.
Guess you’ve got the message by now. There is not much you need to do. Go online and see if you can spot any upcoming writers workshop being organized. Send in your participation request and be there. Believe me, you will get to learn something new.
Image credit: Daniel Spils on flickr and reproduced under Creative Commons 2.0[
Moumita Goswami is a full-time homemaker and a passionate writer. She stays in Pune with her husband and daughter. After giving up working, she started writing about five years ago and can now be seen using her computer keyboard almost all the time. An MA in Psychology from Calcutta University, Moumita has spent time in Kolkata, Delhi and now Pune. For Moumita, writing started as a sudden chance but she soon discovered her likeness for it. And now she has developed a passion for writing and hardly any day passes without her scribbling a few lines. She dreams of publishing her own book one day and is working towards it.