Who among us has not been deflated by criticism?
Exactly.
Finding fault is a sure-fire path to a dead end.
Pat Schneider recognized this and flipped the script to create an environment that encouraged rather than defeated. In a typical AWA workshop, only the strengths in a freshly generated piece are identified. Participants listen deeply for what is memorable and working well—for the craft, image, structure, or voice.
There comes a time, however, when a writer needs meatier feedback; when their story, essay, or poem needs a skilled set of eyes to help them polish it to a shine. AWA facilitators are trained to use a blue pencil, rather than the dreaded red one, to suggest ways to make strong work even stronger and clearer. A blue pencil editor never criticizes or corrects. They work with the writer to support their vision and intention.
I didn’t come away with any blood loss after the session, and I wasn’t wondering why in the world I’d ever thought I could be a “real” writer, either. - Diane Becker
Here are some comments from recipients of AWA’s Blue Pencil sessions.
Diane Becker, AWA Writer Member since 2025, writes:
I took up fiction writing in 2016, with no prior formal training in creative writing. That’s important because I spent the next ten years writing nearly every day, with no other outside evaluation of my work. All of the writing I had done up until 2016 was professional, scientific writing related to my career in healthcare.
After ten years of writing, in my bubble, it felt as though I’d gone as far as I could on my own. To advance in my writing practice, I would need more professional assistance, so when the opportunity to have a Blue Pencil session came along, the timing was perfect!
After sending a sample of the writer’s work to the mentor of choice, a half-hour meeting time is arranged to discuss it. This is done over Zoom. The work is discussed line-by-line with the mentor’s helpful comments already written out in the margins of the Word document. The writer will receive a copy of the edited document to keep for themself for later review.
The AWA workshop method is designed to give honest, strength-based feedback on freshly generated writing, but after ten years of writing, I was pretty sure I knew my strengths. What I really needed was feedback about any weaknesses in the storytelling and how to improve them.
Blue Pencil sessions allow a student to ask three questions of the mentor before the session occurs. This can open the feedback to the deeper concerns a writer might have about her work. We discovered some important areas to address during our session, and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to have had such skilled and experienced eyes on my story. I can’t imagine another way to get this kind of assessment and advice.
If you’re wondering, I didn’t come away with any blood loss after the session, and I wasn’t wondering why in the world I’d ever thought I could be a “real” writer, either. As Pat Schenider asserts: “A writer is someone who writes.”
Don’t be afraid to sign up for a Blue Pencil session. Ask the questions you really want to know, and your feedback will be that much more valuable to you. Happy writing!
My first session was a very positive experience. The feedback given was very thoughtful, supportive and helpful. - Robert Cornett
Robert Cornett wrote:
I am new to AWA and the blue pencil process. My first session was a very positive experience. The feedback given was very thoughtful, supportive and helpful. The facilitator provided a markup with comments and suggestions and explained them all on the Zoom call. She did not push her ideas on me and encouraged me to only accept what made sense to me. She helped me to see where my poems landed with the reader and where I could improve or increase the impact. Sometimes she just made a small suggestion about a line or stanza break that had not occurred to me. In one poem, she showed me where I may have lost the reader at the end. That made me rethink and change the ending. The process was not threatening and gave me confidence in my writing. I will continue to bring my work to the Blue Pencil program. I think it will make me a better writer.
I appreciated the structured time for feedback and the time for questions and comments after listening to feedback. - Melissa Lombardo
Melissa B. Lombardo writes:
I had a great experience with my first-ever AWA Blue Pencil Editing Session.
I liked the flow of the process, starting with sign up and scheduling, as well as the reminder the day that we were going to be meeting. I appreciated the structured time for feedback and the time for questions and comments after listening to feedback. Having everything in a document for me to keep and review afterwards was also helpful, although I did find myself taking notes anyway. The cost for an AWA affiliate was a fair price as well and the value exceeds the cost.
I noticed how the facilitator commented on aspects that resonated with what I felt going into the session. She also spoke on areas where I could describe certain scenes in more vivid detail, which was good for me to later review.
I appreciated the expert feedback and willingness to support emerging authors. AWA Blue Pencil edits are great opportunities to hone one’s craft.
Hiring an Amherst Writers & Artists Blue Pencil Editor is a low-cost, low-risk way to polish a portion of your writing and potentially find someone you’d like to work with long-term.
This year’s Amherst Writers & Artists virtual retreat from the evening of Friday, September 26 through Sunday, September 28, is open to all writers! The retreat promises sessions on craft, business, and all manner of writerly issues, PLUS a live blue pencil session. We’re ironing out the details, but here’s the link to stay tuned.
Our next Online Write, open to everyone, is on Thursday, June 18, at 7 pm Eastern, facilitated by Teresa Burns Gunther.
TERESA BURNS GUNTHER is an award-winning author whose fiction and nonfiction are published widely in US and international literary journals and anthologies. Her story collection "Hold Off The Night," published June 2023, is a Finalist for the Orison and the Hudson Book Prize. Her new collection, "The Adjacent Possible"—longlisted for the Dzanc Book Prize—is forthcoming from Cornerstone Press in 2026. Her work has been recognized in many other contests; most recently awarded the 2023 Gemini Short Story Prize and the 2022 New Millennium Award for Fiction and finalist for Uncharted Magazine’s 2025 Humor Challenge. Teresa, an AWA Affiliate since 2004, is the founder of Lakeshore Writers Workshop, where she leads workshops and offers coaching and editing services.
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