Why I’ve Only Been To One Writing Class In My Life . . .

I’m an unabashed maverick.

Regular readers of this blog know that and, apparently, don’t mind…

The “writing class” I went to (the only one) was actually supposed to be a writing discussion group—critique group—but most of the other attendees thought otherwise, sharing the “rules” they’d absorbed from others and usually misapplying them.

Recently, the online magazine The Millions had a post called The Rules: A Brief Instruction Manual for Writing Classes.

While the piece is decently written and somewhat entertaining, I think its prime value lies in showing the types of behavior I’ve experienced and what many others have told me they’ve suffered through in writing classes or critique groups.

I imagine there are good writing classes somewhere in the world and there must be a few wonderful critique groups.

But my experience and the tales of others tell me that finding them can be full of more psychological danger than I’m equipped to sustain…

Have you attended writing classes?

Do you have a critique group you like?

What makes a class or group worth attending?

What are some of the dangers you’ve found lurking in activities like these?
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