But with any workshop made up of beginning writers, part of the problem is that you’re in a workshop made up of beginning writers — i.e. people who don’t know much of whence they speak. Critiquing, and reading for the purpose of critiquing is a learned skill in itself, and not an easy one.

But still, even as i creep into the realm of “pro,” I’m more than a little wary of leaving OWW and Critters.org behind. The feedback I receive continues to be — on balance — helpful and interesting, and has occasionally saved my rear end from embarrassing blunders.

Just as critiquing is a learned skill, so is learning to glean through the confusing jumble of contradictory and often flat-out wrong opinions you may get in reader critiques.