An exploration of creative reading and critical approaches in Chinese creative writing workshops

Reading and criticism are integral components of Chinese creative writing workshops. Their role extends beyond interpreting and evaluating literary works to transforming reading experiences into creative knowledge and writing practices. Drawing on literature analysis and comparative interpretation, this paper examines the theoretical positioning and practical methods of creative criticism in workshops from three perspectives: objectives, processes, and outcomes. The discussion brings together English-language creative writing textbooks, critical writings by modern Chinese authors, and the traditional Chinese practice of literary commentary. The paper argues that creative criticism should aim to develop a poetics of composition. Through close textual reading and the analysis of writing elements, it should engage participants' creative experience, aesthetic sensibilities, and critical thinking, enabling them to develop critical expressions with distinctive personal styles. On this basis, the paper proposes a critical model of "close reading–collaborative reading–deep reading", operationalized through five stages: the creative signification stage, the creative comparison stage, the creative reception stage, the creative reflection stage, and the creative practice stage. The model connects individual reading and peer discussion with imitation, rewriting, and manuscript revision. It offers useful methodological guidance for teaching creative criticism in Chinese creative writing workshops.