Dean Writers Circle members come together to exchange feedback on work they hope to publish or to improve writing skills. This is done in an informal and lively manner, and this code of conduct helps people to present their work and to give and receive feedback in a sensitive and helpful way.
We have to feel comfortable sharing our writing, so it’s important to be able to trust each other. This means following a few guidelines that promote mutual respect for ourselves and our writing. The following are a few points to bear in mind before and during a meeting.
| What can I bring? | We don’t focus on specific genres, and welcome all kinds of creative fiction and non-fiction including prose and poetry. To ensure accessibility, please upload material as a word doc. We ask that reading samples be kept to a maximum of 1,000 words in length, to allow time for each group member to read out their piece and receive feedback during the meeting. You may submit longer pieces of up to about 3,000 words in advance and ask for written or verbal feedback without the piece being read at the meeting. Be aware that there may be occasions when you don’t get to read out your piece due to discussion being organic. If your material contains references to sensitive material, please head it with a trigger warning. Material which actively promotes any form of hate speech will not be tolerated. |
| Keep it within the group | Anything read out during a meeting or posted on our shared drive must be kept within the group. An author’s writing is their intellectual property and should notbe shared outside the group without their explicit permission. |
| Respect and Inclusivity | Treat each other with respect and consideration. Discriminatory behaviour or language based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or any other protected characteristic will not be tolerated. |
| Feedback | We currently have a system where one person is the primary feedback giver, and others are encouraged to add different perspectives as appropriate. In this way, we avoid repetition. It also means that every member who has submitted a piece will both give and receive feedback. Members are encouraged to provide feedback that is constructive and focused on the work itself rather than personal attributes. |