On Receiving Criticism

Last week I discussed the art of giving manuscript critiques, especially in workshops. I had two basic suggestions: first, always start off with a statement about what you like in the manuscript you are discussing, and second, present the issues you see, but don’t intrude on the author’s work by trying to fix them.

This week I’m going to talk about the art of receiving workshop criticism.

The first thing to remember when you walk into a workshop is that the piece you are bringing is yours. Don’...