Authentic discussions about writing are the sorts of conversations that professional or experienced writers might have, where writers explore purpose, effect, clarity, and interpretation. These discussions help students develop "writing skills and strategies because students are able to work at progressively higher levels with the guidance and support of teachers and the collaboration of peers. The processes internalized during such guided or collaborative work provide for new levels of development in written communication." If writing were just composed of discrete skills and behaviors, then it might be sufficient to focus instruction on transferring these from teacher to students in a recitation or fill-in-the-blank format. But if being a writer involves shaping writing identities, building practices, and exploring "ways of being in the world," then teachers must change how they conceptualize and structure student talk in writing instruction. To foster authentic student discussions about writing, they must be strategic in how they prepare students to interact around their writing. The challenge is not necessarily to find new classroom activities. Rather, the challenge is in how to enact even familiar strategies so that they deliberately teach students to engage in authentic writing conversations. In this article, the author describes several methods for helping students solicit and give each other meaningful feedback on their writing. Specific strategies for decreasing students' anxieties and increasing their depth of commentary are included.