Workshops

From today's entry:

"By putting your story up for discussion you learn how to listen to criticism and how to deal with it. By hearing the reactions to other stories you begin to recognize who in the workshop is perceptive, judicious, and balanced in judgment. Probably you should pay attention to those persons when your story is discussed. You recognize that the opinions of some people should be discounted. Some are negative bullies and others are uncritical enthusiasts. A person may vehemently attack some aspect of a story that isn't worth more than a minute of discussion because it could be cleared up with the insertion of a single sentence. Someone else may wax rhapsodic about what you recognize as contrived and dishonest. What if that person loves your story?"

Ha! Fanfiction in a nutshell! But I say so in all seriousness: this is what I see happen to fanfic writers. It's a large part of my experience as a fanfic writer. Stern speaks only of how the workshop process affects writing; what he doesn't explore (but happens) includes the friendships made (or ended), the thrilling energy generated when creative minds click -- and, in fandom, the never-ending wank.

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The following is an excerpt from Part III of the book Making Shapely Fiction, by Jerome Stern. The first two parts are very much worth reading as well. The book is available in paperback.

( Workshops )