What do you mean "Workshop"?

I've read that finding a writing workshop is like selecting a daycare for your newborn child. It's hard to put the care and feeding of one's writing into the hands of strangers.

Like so many other American words, the term workshop, as it relates to a creative writing workshop, has come to be both noun and verb.

Workshop (n) A group session in which creative works are developed; an experiential class or seminar in which participants create new work or continue works in progress.

Workshop (v) To review a piece of creative work with other writers; for example, "Has your manuscript been workshopped yet?"

In academic settings, MFA programs, and at some writers conferences, a workshop generally means a read and critique session in which members of the group review participants' work.

For our purpose, we use the term "workshop" to mean a group that comes together once a week to write, at times exchange writing, interact and share information about writing, publishing and the writing life.

Few gatherings can be more invigorating to the writing soul than a writers' workshop.