Got called out at a writing workshop in Austin last Tuesday...

I was at this workshop at the Austin Public Library, and the leader had us share a prompt response. I read mine, and this older lady just said "you keep saying 'suddenly' and 'then' in every other sentence." I counted later, and I had used "suddenly" like 8 times in 3 paragraphs. Has anyone else had a bad habit like that totally pointed out in public?

2 comments

2 Comments

river_hart181mo agoMost Upvoted

Wait, has anyone else ever watched a friend go through something like this in real time? My buddy Jake got roasted at an open mic for starting every single line of his poem with "And" and it was brutal because you could see him counting while he read. He told me later he didn't even realize he was doing it until someone pointed it out right there in front of everyone.

dylan_green581mo ago

Honestly, isn't that kind of feedback exactly what a workshop is for? Getting called out on a bad habit like that helps you actually see it and fix it fast. Ngl, I'd rather hear it from some older lady at a library than never know why my writing stumbles.