Most publishers are aware of the fact that writing can be a lonely activity and the best of them try to provide some friendly advice. But let's be honest, most of the time writers sit alone, drinking coffee and watching the rest of the world interacting or frowning at the blank page muttering to themselves. Or maybe that's just our authors.
Working in isolation means that it's often hard to see your work objectively. There's only one real cure, and it can seem absolutely terrifying: joining a writers' group.
The thought of showing your work to a group of people, especially fellow writers, can be terrifying but every person there is in the same boat as you, and equally nervous about the process. The relief of getting to know like-minded writers with the same fears and neuroses as you have can be euphoric.
Why workshops? We can't see our writing the way another person would read it, and, as tough as it sounds, we need feedback from other people to make sure it works. Joining a workshop is difficult because it's an admission that perhaps our writing needs improvement. But workshops can make us view our work in a new light, provide us with original ideas and find more powerful ways of saying what we want to say. If you find the right workshop each session will make you more aware of your potential, more confident in your work; it will give you a better understanding of the process of writing, and of the techniques other people use for success; and it will leave you feeling exhilarated and impatient to write more. Plus, it will inspire you to write: you can't bring your material to a meeting until you've written it. There's every chance that actively engaging in a workshop will help you to get published.
Which workshops? Take your time to find the right environment, and don't be afraid to try more than one group. There are many groups and courses available for writers: ranging from groups that meet informally to postgraduate courses offering an intensive series of exercises and feedback sessions. If you're thinking of joining a group take some time to work out what you're looking for. Most groups look at several pieces of work a week, usually by different writers, whoever's got something new, the aim being to help a piece of work evolve and grow. Other workshops set exercises to help improve a writer's grip of technique and expression. A good workshop will always feel co-operative not competitive: you are all there to find out how to write successfully, and if you don't work at it as a group you'll all falter.
For academic courses, visit the websites of colleges and universities. Adult education colleges also often offer workshops. Contact your regional arts association for a list of writers' groups in your area open to newcomers or ask local people if they know of any good groups. If all of the above fails, start your own group with any writers you know.
Writers' groups demand that you learn to accept constructive criticism: there's no point attending if you don't want to hear other people's opinions. Listen carefully to what people are saying, don't try to argue or contradict, just write it down. Criticism in workshops should always acknowledge the integrity and value of the writing it's aimed at. It shouldn't pick at the flaws, it should point out how the good parts of a piece of writing are weakened by less desirable elements. Criticism should also always be specific; if it's too general, the critic risks giving the impression that it's a writer or his ability to write that is being rejected. Learn to let your work go, to acknowledge the divide between you and your writing, if you want to make the most out of criticism. Be aware that people will interpret your work differently from how you intended, and that this might not necessarily be their fault, or even a bad thing.
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