On-line workshops

[SRHowen]

If you took an on-line workshop, what would you expect from it?

As far as structure, assignments, length of time, cost--etc.

Shawn

[HollyB]

I've taken an online workshop through Writer's Digest. It was an eight week course on Writing the Short Story. The curriculum consisted of a weekly canned reading assignment, to which the instructor added a few comments. Over the course of the eight weeks, the students submitted a synopsis of two stories, then the two stories, which the instructor commented on, then the revised two stories. There was also a "library" of essays on writing you could access.

Was it worthwhile? For an absolute beginner, yes. But I've learned far more here and memorizing Stephen King's On Writing than I ever did in the course.

I took the course hoping for objective feedback on my stories, but I found that I didn't really agree with her assessment. I didn't get line-editing or even editing for that matter, it was more subjective feedback. (It wasn't just on my story -- of the five students in the class, I thought only two of the five students's revised stories showed improvement. Those two students that improved I would consider to be beginners.)

[STORMTURNER]

I think the only perk a writer can get from workshops is networking with other writers. The only way the book/project will get done is by doing it. Sure, you have to read-up and get that industry knowledge going. But all that can be gained by reading a book or researching the internet.

In my humblest opinion.

[Writing Again]

If you took an on-line workshop, what would you expect from it?

As far as structure, assignments, length of time, cost--etc.

Shawn

I'm going to take this at face value.

Frankly, no brag, just fact, I'm a bit more advanced than the average beginner. I would expect my needs to be filled as well as the rank beginners, and yes I might even want to review some of the basics myself.

Thus I would expect it to be segmented so I could choose my areas rather than a one size fits all. A testing to see who most needs what areas would be beneficial to many if not most.

Some of the areas I would expect it to cover would be:

What makes a story? This I think is the biggest failing of most wannabe writers. They do not really understand what makes a story -- Nor do they realize that the reading public today is more sophisticated than it once was and demands more of a story than it did 100 years ago.

Understanding the relationship between plot and character. How one effects the other. How to strengthen both.

Understanding the relationship between protagonist and antagonist. How one effects the other. How to strengthen both and why.

Understanding what role supporting characters, minor characters, have in a story, how they function and why. How to utilize them most efficiently.

Understanding how time, place, and scene effect a story and its characters and the reader. How to use them to emphasize or contrast an underlying motif.

Understanding what makes a novel or short story different from other mediums such as stage plays, screen plays, etc. and how to make the most use of the medium. In other words "Do what it does best."

Understanding the concept of "knowledge superior." Someone always knows more and therefore is in the superior position. At various times, depending on the need of the story it is the reader, the protagonist, the antagonist, or even a minor character. How to use this to maximum advantage.

Understanding the relationship between what your characters are doing on the page and what other characters elsewhere are doing off the page. The other characters in your novel do not sit still for five hours while your heroine is being chased all over the woods by the bad guy. She will not find them in the same place they were five hours earlier just finishing the cup of coffee they started five hours before. In fact what they did may very well effect the course of the story.

Understanding the difference between a dramatic event and a mundane event. You kiss your girlfriend and she kisses you back while going "Mmmmmm" is mundane. You kiss her and she bites your neck is dramatic. How to achieve a dramatic event in mundane circumstances.

Understanding how to control the length of an event. A good writer can draw out a ten second event to ten pages in length if they wish to or they can collapse ten years into a single paragraph.

Understanding the use of words, texture, sound, meter, repetition, length of sentences, etc to create something more than what is said by the way it is said: setting mood, speeding the reading up, slowing the reader down, upping the pace for action, slowing it for intervals, etc.

I'm sure there is more, but I need to get started on my day.

Hope this helps.

[Writing Again]

Ooops.. Forgot a couple.

Well kind of. I have no idea as to what something like that would cost or how much time would be involved. My time budget jumps around like crazy and is highly unpredictable.

I'd want to do it at my own pace.

I think each element would take at least as long to do as it would take to read a good book on the subject.

My guess is that each element should cost as much as a good book on the subject plus the time of the person running the workshop.