Hello writers,
Our final new column addition to the Write or Die universe (everything is a universe now, so gimme this), is finally here, and this time we’ve got the Senior Director of Education at GrubStreet, Erin Weiss, helping you work out which classes, coaching, retreats, MFAs, and other writing education are worth your time and money…so, you know, you can keep becoming a better writer no matter where you’re at right now.
Enjoy! Grow! Learn! Let’s gooo
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In Erin’s own words, here’s what How to Become a Better Writer is all about:
It’s hard to become a better writer alone—and it’s hard to commit to an MFA. In between, there is a vast writing education market: celebrity author workshops, writing centers, craft newsletters, coaches, retreats, accountability groups, and more. But without accreditation, or any guarantee that a writer you admire will be a great teacher, how do you tell a transformative experience from back-patting and slide decks of Googleable information?
I’ve spent the past decade building and overseeing programs at GrubStreet, the U.S.’s largest independent writing center, and I’ve become an expert in how writers learn. Every two weeks, I’ll help you evaluate your options and figure out what you need right now. We’ll work through common questions and misgivings, flag the hallmarks of quality programs, and I’ll hand-select standout opportunities that can help you learn craft, get feedback, and become a better writer.”
Last month, Garth Greenwell published an elegant, viral (by literary essay standards!) anti-workshop screed, and then a follow up on his Substack. In the first essay, “Why I Don’t Believe in Workshop Anymore,” he declares the traditional workshop “fraudulent,” and says that fresh new writing doesn’t actually benefit from a roomful of compulsory opinions. The many voices around the table amount to either cacophony or group think, and the workshop rushes to pruning at a moment when all a draft needs is water and light. “Who thought this was the way to educate an artist?” he asks.
Both posts are good reading for anyone evaluating their options for improving their writing—they make important points around finding sympathetic readers, aesthetic risk-taking, and bad teaching models. But they are really most relevant to folks considering, or regretting, studying creative writing at a university in the traditional “cone of silence” model. For everyone else, there are thousands of creative writing workshops available a la carte, and most of them have long since abandoned the model Greenwell takes to task, where the writer sits silently as their fledgling work gets picked apart.
For a few hundred dollars and a few hours a week, workshops are a lifeline for writers poking away at drafts alone. They provide a protected space to write, share your work, engage with new writing, and have conversations with other adults who are trying their hand at something difficult and fun and often very beautiful. No one muddling through manuscripts on their own should take these things for granted. What happens in workshop is a radical departure from regular adult life, and for most of us, it’s our very best option for growing as writers. If you’ve achieved Garth Greenwell status and have access to the world’s smartest writer friends and editors, you’re probably fine. If you’re not there yet, keep reading.