Too often – most of the time actually – writers get far too close to their ‘babies’ to see the faults, errors and structural problems that are obvious to other readers.

This is probably THE most important lesson I have learned doing my Master of Arts in Creative Writing at Tabor Adelaide, especially under the guidance of Rosanne Hawke. At first I was threatened by having to share my writing in a public forum like a workshop.

Then I felt challenged by what others were writing in response to the set activities. This lifted my own writing to a new level.

Now I’m at the stage of actively seeking feedback from other writers and readers. Their reactions, perceptions and comments can only make me a better writer.

Isn’t that what we all strive for?

And a spin-off bonus is that our writing is improved making it more likely to be accepted for publication.

Sometimes we keep our stories too close to us, while they are growing up. But we write our stories to share with others. People in performance arts get direct responses from their audience. Writers can miss out on this step unless they organise to put themselves in that position.