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Online Writing Workshop for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror

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Member Comments

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"OWW was the first online workshop community I found when I was ready to begin critiquing. I have learned so much here, and made lifelong connections. As well, I discovered many more resources through OWW, including workshops and new publications. Thank you all so much for everything you do!"
--Fran Wilde, Tor Books author

"When I decided to get serious about writing, my very first stop was the Online Writing Workshop. It's one of the best decisions I've ever made. I'm not exaggerating when I say it changed my life -- I doubt I'd have a career now if I hadn't joined the workshop."
--Ian Tregillis, Tor Books author

"I think an active membership in OWW is one of the very best investments a genre writer can make in his or her future."
--Colleen Lindsay, literary agent

"It has been a rewarding experience working with the OWW.  I have made friends, improved my writing skills and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  Many thanks to everyone who makes the OWW possible.”
--M.R., Colorado

"The OWW has been more useful for me than any other workshops I've tried--university courses, local and long-distance writing groups, or Clarion West. The ongoing critiquing relationships have been invaluable, and the latest draft of my fantasy novel was far more satisfying to write than it would have been without the feedback I received through the OWW."
--T.T., Twickenham, England

"I've only been a member of the workshop for a few short weeks, but already I've learned more than in the whole of a three-year creative-writing themed Eng-Lit degree. This place is a godsend."
--S.C., Manchester, UK

"OWW is the finest online workshop I have found, bar none. The benefit of the feedback from other writers is absolutely invaluable and has already made a noticeable difference in my own writing."
--J.D., Show Low, AZ

"Thanks for this wonderful service which you provide to aspiring authors. I thought before that I knew how to write. The experience of being reviewed by others, and of doing many reviews myself, has been extremely informative and inspiring. I have been humbled, but also spurred on by my contacts with the many people on this site."
--N.M., Summerland, British Columbia, Canada

"What I've gained from this workshop and the people I've met here in the time I've been a member is more than worth [the membership fee] to me. When I started here I knew no other writers, knew nothing about how to go about getting anything published, and was pretty much isolated from any contact with anyone who understood what I wanted to do. Finding the workshop was one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I think I've learned more about how to construct a story and the nuts and bolts of writing from the other members of the workshop than I learned in college." --J.V., Fremont, CA

"I heartily believe in the usefulness of online writing workshops (I can't imagine where I'd be without them!), and think that you've all done a simply fanastic job with the new OWW. The DROWW was good--but this one makes the other look an ancient, clunky relic! If the Internet is about the sharing of information and the coming-together of people who would not have met under other circumstances, then I believe online writing workshops are the single best example of how the Internet can improve people's lives, in however great or small a way."
--R.E., Durham, NH

"You'll find that when you think about how other people construct their stories, you'll start thinking about your own this way, too. I learn more by doing thoughtful crits than any other trick."
--E.G., New York, NY

"This workshop helps me make my stories the best I can make them, and I'm not planning to give that up."
--R.N., Stuttgart, Germany (published in Asimov's)

"The more I read/review, the better my own writing gets. From the beginning of a story I can now fix problems before they go down to the computer screen. Review, review, review, review, review, review ad infinitum. Your writing will get better. The better your writing, the better chance you have of getting something published. So, review..."
--R.A., Gilbert, AZ

"Without the workshop I wouldn't be half the writer I am today--I wouldn't have had anything published, and I certainly wouldn't be helping to run a magazine. This workshop has helped me so much."
--A.V., Calgary, Alberta, Canada

"My problem is that the style used in fiction writing is very different from that used in my profession, which requires a complex sentence structure that supposedly reflects sophisticated ideas. The OWW has helped so much with this problem--I know I've become a better writer since joining the workshop."
--S.P., Germany

"The workshop has been so helpful to me, I can't begin to tell you. I know I have a way to go, still, as a writer, but I'm so much further along than I was when I started. Being involved here has truly made a difference."
--K.T., Des Moines, IA

Before I came to this site I'd already written a 789-page trilogy and was shopping for an agent. I'd gone through half a dozen drafts and pretty well thought I'd thought of everything. How delightful to be proven wrong... As a result of suggestions from the site I've "fixed" a lot of what was wrong with the first book of the trilogy, and the ripple-effect promises to strengthen the other two books as well. It's also been a delight to have input on the writing of others...in a purely selfish way it's incredibly helpful for me to look at my own writing after critiquing someone else's. At last I'm able to identify specifically what's good and what needs work. The flexibility of the site is ideal for revisions, and everything moves at such a pace that he who dallies misses the party. Better still, I'm developing a circle of Comrades in Ink for the moral and literary support I've been craving. All in all I couldn't pay enough to be part of this site!"
--M.K., Minneapolis, MN

I have thoroughly enjoyed this workshop. The members have been helpful as I have attempted to make my craft of writing better. They have given me fresh eyes to see what I might not have seen before, a deeper mind to ponder on the things I have read, and a more colorful vocabulary to describe my thoughts and ideas. Thanks for the opportunity."
--K.B., Tomah, WI

"This is an excellent workshop; kudos to whoever came up with the idea. All the different opinions given by the variety of people reviewing have already had a large impact on my writing."
--D.C., Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada

"I have joined many workshops in the past both online and offline. However, none were as helpful as this. The previous workshops seemed less friendly and forced a person to critique every week otherwise they would be ousted from the workshop. I submitted similar pieces to these workshops; however I was unable to get the advice I needed and could use to improve my writing. This workshop is not only the best I have seen but also one of the most helpful and supportive. Good job!"
--A.V., Levittown, PA

"I just wish this that I had known that this workshop existed a lot sooner. I spent literally years not having any idea what to do to make my stories better. I am so impressed with the fact that other writers will help a person get published. In this competive world, that is a rare thing I think. Already the workshop has shown me what to do to make my writing stronger. How much longer would it have been before I achieved professional status without the workshop?"
--G.P., Wabasha, MN

"I have been a hobby writer for better than twenty years now. With a full career in software development, I have not been able to pursue my Language Arts education past the high-school level. This workshop has filled a role of which I have only dreamt. At long last, a way for real-life writers to learn real-life lessons about their hobby or profession. College wastes so much of your time, but this... This is the real thing."
--K., Aurora, CO

"I'm very glad to see the workshop reborn. It is such an encouragement and help to younger writers and to any writers who are new to the genres. It helped me immensely."
--A.W. (published author of 21 mysteries)

I had looked at a lot of workshops to help me with my writing (being a beginner I needed help!) Then i found this one. I found all the comments in the reviews really helpful. I found more flaws in my work than I had ever realised I had. Thanks to this workshop they are now being corrected. It doesn't matter if you are new to writing or not, the workshop is brilliant at helping you with your work. Nobody looks down on you for being new or such bad punctuation you need to be hit over the head with a dictionary. I'd recommend it to everyone, it's the best by far."
--E.G., Blackburn, Lancashire, UK

"Since joining the workshop I've seen my writing mature both stylistically and thematically. I shudder whenever I remember the drivel I was pounding out prior to discovering a forum where I could discuss, debate, argue and struggle with a whole host of other writers. Critiquing the works of others is an incredibly expanding exercise. Having my own works 'critted' by other writers of varying skill levels has helped make me focus and hone my craft. This growth process is incredibly addictive, and I've made e-friends with writers I fully anticipate communicating with for the rest of my life."
--J.S., Columbia, SC

"I've been a member for 4 months now and have really enjoyed it. I've tried 2 other SF/F crit sites and have found them sadly lacking when compared to OWW-SFFH. The degree of automation, the wealth of material to review, the wealth of reviewers and the helpfulness of the support staff all mark the site out as hands above the rest. Keep up the good work.... It has helped me improve my work immensely."
--B.O., Huntingdon, England

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If you'd rather e-mail us directly, send a message to support@sff.onlinewritingworkshop.com