If you shiver a little at the thought of putting your work in front of others and asking their candid opinions, you're not alone. But sharing your work with others can be a rewarding and educational experience. You may have aspirations to publish. If so, eventually you'll have to take the plunge of showing your work to an editor. Before you do that, you'll want feedback from a friendly audience to help you improve your craft.

Many people find it easiest to start with friends, teachers, or family members. This is a good idea, particularly if these people seem inclined to be supportive of you. Be aware, though, that the same people might feel inclined to go easy on you for fear of hurting your feelings.

One way to get support and honest criticism at the same time is to join a writing workshop. Workshops take on many different forms, so you might need to look around to find something that suits your style. But the common purpose of all workshops is to provide genuine constructive feedback in an atmosphere of encouragement and support. In fact, you can learn a lot by hearing (and giving) critiques of other people's work, as well as your own. You may find that you can be more objective in seeing what works, and doesn't work, in all kinds of fiction— including pieces to which you don't have a personal emotional attachment.