WORKSHOP RULES [NEVER, NEVER EVER SHARE WORKSHOP CONTENTS WITH SOMEONE OUTSIDE THE WORKSHOP WITHOUT THE WRITER'S PERMISSION] Rules for the one being critiqued: 1. You sit in "vegetable silence." No talking back to the critiquers. No arguing. No answering questions. No excuses ("what I really meant here was...") When your work appears in print, you won't be there to have a dialogue with the reader, so don't indulge now. Besides, if you cut off the comments too soon by explaining things away, you'll never know that half the group didn't understand a point (i.e. you have a serious glitch in the manuscript.) 2. Take notes as the session unfolds. Use a tape recorder if you feel like it. 3. When the group has had its say (including the workshop leader), you can ask questions. But this is NOT the time to explain what you really meant. It's either in the story or it's not. Rules for those doing the critiquing: 1. Workshop is not a place for demonstrating how smart or well-read we are at the expense of the author. In other words: It goes without saying that Hemingway (King, Dickens, etc) would've written the piece better -- so don't say it. 2. Try to find something admirable about the work to mention first. It's a very rare story that has absolutely nothing good about it. 3. If you can't see any good points, or you totally hate it, or it presses the wrong buttons for you, you're not ready to give a useful critique. Say "I pass." (But do this sparingly, please.) 4. Keep your points concise; don't ramble or repeat. If other members have made the same point, say "I agree about the lack of motivation (or whatever)" and move on. Your aim is to help the author improve the piece, not beat him into the ground. Identify specific trouble spots if you can. 5. Don't try to re-write the story for the author. Don't try to interpret the story. Comment on craft. Don't argue or have conversations with other critiquers. (These rules are based on the long-running, highly successful Asilomar Writers Consortium) |