In all writing groups, both timid and tough,
The talk can be gentle—or maybe too rough.
The meeting’s too mushy, all praise and delight,
Or it might be a storm with a thunderous bite.
Some folks form a circle that cheers every line:
“I love it. It’s perfect. Your commas all shine.”
But if novices praise what the novices write,
They remain novices, though trying with might.
A leader must balance the “good job” with “improve”
To keep the whole session in a constructive groove.
With every bad story, there’s something to cheer,
And any paragraph can be made more clear.
So when it’s my turn for the red-ink parade,
I’ll beg for suggestions on choices I’ve made.
I’ll ask, “What feels awkward? What’s fuzzy or flat?
Don’t flatter me. Please tell me about that.”
If silence creeps in, I might smile and say,
“If a monkey were to mark a paragraph today,
I’d find a way to make it better here or there.
You’re smarter than a monkey, so tell me where.”
Then laughter will bubble. The tension will fade.
Ideas start flowing. Improvements get made.
For growth isn’t found in a compliment’s song.
It blooms when we humbly find something wrong.
So let’s keep on learning and dare to revise,
With kindness and courage—and maybe surprise.
For even the best words, when read once again,
Can sparkle still brighter with help from a friend.
