Peer Editing

Mr. Kline turned to me and Turtle Boy and said, "You both need to produce more writing and share it with others, maybe join a writing group of some kind." 

Turtle Boy looked at me and smiled. "We could form our own creative writing group over the summer," he suggested.

I shook my head.

"No."

Two years later, I regret not being a bit kinder to Turtle Boy. However, I do not regret turning down the invitation to join a creative writing group with him. It's not that I think writing groups are a bad idea. But I do prefer to wait to get feedback until I produce enough decent work to make it a worthwhile endeavor, and I did not have enough produced at that point. If I write creative short stories for the sake of bringing them before a small group for feedback, I am likely to fall into the trap of writing to impress. It is necessary for me to finish the stories for the sake of themselves. After I have done that, the feedback of other writers and readers is welcome and helpful.

When my creative writing is ready to be peer-reviewed, either experienced writers or average readers can provide valuable feedback. This is because I want my work to be accessible to the average reader as well as to experienced writers. However, if I am pursuing feedback for academic papers, I will want a more experienced writer's help. This is because unlike in storytelling, there is a best way to write an academic paper. I want the kind of readers that can point me towards the best way. Additionally, my academic papers are largely targeted towards above-average readers (my professors).

With the above conditions in place, peer-reviews are great for my work. Getting as many perspectives as possible helps my ideas develop, and more eyes can spot more problems than I can alone. As I continue my writing journey, I will keep adding trusted peer-reviewers to my list.