Cringe Editing

I completed my degree as a mature-aged student and graduated the year I turned 40.

Being 'older' gives you a different perspective and attitude to studies. It also influences your subject choices - I did a semester each of Anglo-Saxon and Middle English translations and could never explain to anyone who asked how that was going to help me.

But I loved it and learnt a lot about grammar and current English as well as reading [and translating] Beowulf [and others] in its original language

I also did two semesters of Creative Writing. The lecturer and tutor focused a lot on poetry - writing and reading. Other students weren't happy and complained but I could see we were being taught:

1. Careful and thoughtful word choice
2. Rhythm and flow
3. Brevity - making each word count
4. Style - there are many, many ways to write a poem
5. Clarity of thought and purpose

In our tutorials the writer being critiqued would read their work aloud, the rest of the group would listen and then give verbal feedback.

I think it's more important to hear someone else read your work aloud to you than it is to read your own work.

I remember another student reading his poetry and putting stresses and emphasis on words that didn't seem natural. When I read it in my head [and aloud] it didn't work, didn't fit - but when he read it he forced it to fit. Others in the group read it like me. He didn't change anything because in his mind it was right - but it wouldn't have worked out in the big wide world.

If you're part of a critique group, have someone else read your work aloud to the group. As well as hearing what they stumble over it lets you pick up a pen and cringe- edit - every time you cringe there's obviously something there that needs work.

Jennifer