Familiarise yourself with a few second person poems. I’ve left some links for you at the end of this post, but do your own research as well.
Make conscious decisions about how you want to approach this poem. This includes defining or deliberately not defining 'you,' deciding on the tone of the speaker (reflective, nostalgic, commanding, dominating, etc), and the kind of language she or he will use (simple, ornate, scientific, etc).

I encourage everyone new or old to the workshop to join us as a member. This is a really simple process, just head to our front page and hit ‘join our group’. Members have a few extra preferences than watchers, for example being able to submit to our favourites gallery and also request to submit journals. It is also nice to feel part of the group!

*If you were a ‘groupie’ during alpha testing, you are automatically a member.

If you are new, can I encourage you to take your time to read our about us section. It will give you a low down of how the workshop works, our three-week cycles and inform you about our critique and reviewing policies. If we have missed anything our there, we also have a FAQ section and feel free to ask us any other questions you may have.


We are always actively looking for Workshop Hosts. If you are interested in hosting a workshop, please check out our Hosting a workshop page. This will tell you about the requirements we expect of our hosts and gives you a chance to fill out a proposal to us.


If you want to do a little bit more for our group, then why not consider applying as a contributor? Contributor Applications are open, so check out the link and send us an application if you are interested.

Our next workshop will start in a few days time. I can tell you it will be run by the lovely `lovetodeviate and will be a poetry based workshop. Keep your eyes out for her journal!

We are now a super group thanks to *GrimEden who very generously forked out the subscription for us. This means we are considering looking for a new journal CSS to suit the workshop. If any of you have a secret CSS talent, please let us know and we’re open to suggestions.

Speaking of customisation, we’re open to people making stamps and possible ideas for a new icon for us. If you do make anything workshop related, please feel free to suggest it to our favourites gallery and we may consider using it.

Always thank the critic. Even if you do not like the critique, remember that the critic has taken time to offer his/her sincere opinion on the piece.
If you do not like the critique, it is not necessary to mention so or be otherwise hurtful. Simply thank the critic and move on without making a scene of it. You can always ignore suggestions -- after all, that's all they are.
If you are unsure of what the critique means, just ask the critic what s/he meant. Building rapport with your critic is one of the best ways to survive in a workshop and to learn. If you want examples, ask. Similarly, if you like the suggestions given, mention it. Critics have feelings too.
If you feel that the comment left by a critic or workshop host is inappropriate, please don't hesitate to contact #Writers-Workshop via a note.

The Stats!
Closing Thoughts from Host
Featured Deviations
Featured Members
Feedback Please

**612, but who's counting?

Today marks not only a very poignant world remembrance day, but also the birthday of this very group.

Although you may be confused, as the group was founded on October 22nd 2006, the group did not actually launch until a year later on the 11th November 2007. It took a long time for the group to be planned and brought together, but it was completely worth it!

#Writers-Workshop was born out of a conversation between its original founders, `Beccalicious and `lovetodeviate. Aditi and I shared a mutual want for a workshop based challenge that got rid of that ‘competition’ element a lot of writing projects and contests dA drove. This was about helping a writer find ways to improve their own writing, to explore different concepts and challenge them in hope that some of the skills they found would be evoked in their non workshop pieces.

In 2008, sadly `lovetodeviate moved on to become a literature GM, and we welcomed ~batousaijin and `GaioumonBatou into our staff fold. With the groups function, we have been able to widen that team to include =nycterent, `poisonedrose, *GrimEden and ~Queen-of-Marigold. This team has worked so hard in building the new group. We have also had the chance to welcome back `lovetodeviate as a contributor.

The first workshop was hosted by former GM `GunShyMartyr and was on the theme ‘twisted stories’. The rest of the cycle (following our now old format of 2 weeks prose, 2 weeks poetry, 2 weeks free for all) was hosted by the other two GMs at the time, `PoeticWar and ^StJoan and since then we have had so many wonderful members of the literature community come along and host a workshop right up to =nycterent who is currently hosting this workshop on metaphor. What makes this current workshop significant is not only is it marking the 2 years, but it if the first in the new workshop format, the first where we’ve seen over 50 submission and of course the first using the new group function.

It is important not only to recall the past workshop hosts, but also our members- some of you have been here for the whole two year stretch which is fantastic. I personally cannot thank you enough for the continued support. We’ve also seen the welcome of now over 1000 members, most of you who have taken this workshop opportunity in your stride and I hope the enthusiasm continues for the future.

We were very lucky to have the opportunity to alpha test for groups and soon we will be promoted to a ‘super group’. This mean we shall have additional features and information to help you guys making this workshop as resourceful as we can for you.

When I opened the account in 2006, I never imagined 3 years on this would be such a strong and exciting group. I am immensely proud of this workshop and without any of you it wouldn’t be possible to have that pride.

Finally, I don’t want to end on a bittersweet moment, but we would like to mark this group as a permanent memorial for *kittyfantastic24. Nikki was a dedicated member of this group and she died unexpectedly on Sunday August 16th aged 31. Rest in peace Nikki.


Thank you everyone, here is to another 2 years of workshopping!

`Beccalicious

P.S. check out our new exciting 'about us' section in the members tab!

]]>

How to Revise or Critique by ^SparrowSong
CRITIQUE by `tangledweb
http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/28041249/ Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:09:42 PST FAQs | Hosting a workshop | Writing Resources | Previous Workshops

_______

ONE DAY LEFT!

The workshop closes for submissions at midnight GMT, November 9th! That's tomorrow!

So far we have a whooping 48 pieces written for the workshop, so if you've already submitted or aren't planning on participating in the writing part of our workshop, take a few minutes to check out the entries and leave a few comments. Work-shopping is as much about the revising and critiquing as it is about the writing. A few critics and workshop submissions will be featured in the closing journal.

I'm loving the enthusiasm and activity so far. You guys are amazing!

PS. Don't forget to read the instructions carefully if you're submitting!

______

Welcome to our first, post-group-transition workshop! You've asked for a return to the basic elements of writing, and we heard you! This Workshop is also here to give you a taste for all the great things coming up.

How does a workshop work? As members, you will read the workshop description, and then, following all the instructions, write-write-write, scrub, polish and submit a deviation to our group gallery (detailed instructions below).

From there, all members (yes, I'm talking to you!) will visit, read, and comment&critique on each others pieces. Once the deadline creeps in, chasing the last few procrastinators over the finish line, the workshop hosts will take some time to go over all the entries and leave some constructive comments on them. This means critique.

_____________________


=nycterent will be the in-house host for this workshop.

_____________________

Now, our Taster Workshop, unveiled! --- More Metaphor, Please ---

"Metaphors have a way of holding the most truth in the least space."
- Orson Scott Card


The Task: Write a piece using an extended metaphor in 250 or fewer words.

Wait, wait, first of all, what's a metaphor?

Basically, a metaphor is a comparison of two different thing, saying that one is the other.
A = B

______ is _______


Example: An easily recognizable metaphor can be seen in the line "Hope is the thing with feathers" (from Emily Dickinson's poem by the same title). It takes "hope", which is an abstract idea and difficult to pin down, and uses a very real object (a feathery bird) help the reader imagine Hope and what Hope means in the poem.

_{Note: For the sake of this workshop, please be explicit in your use of a metaphor. Be obvious. Say "[something] is/was/etc [something]". Symbols ("this represents that") and similes ("this is like that") just don't cut it.}


That makes sense. But what's an extended metaphor?

An extended metaphor is when the metaphor continues in the piece, often developed at great length and recurring in different ways. To go back to that same famous Dickinson poem, Hope is compared to a bird. Throughout the piece, Dickinson continues t... ]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/27902209/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/27902209/ Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:19:46 PDT FAQs | Hosting a workshop | Writing Resources | Previous Workshops


Welcome to #Writers-Workshop!

Hi all!

First and foremost - groupies are no more! Hooray! We say this, because it felt so sad having to say no to so many enthusiastic people who want somewhere to write. Well, you guys are all watchers now, and will all be able to participate when you want to!

We are very close to launching two taster workshops, which are to give all those new and old members a chance to experience how #Writers-Workshop is adapting to the new groups system. There will be one prose and one poetry workshop.

Whilst we are waiting, why don’t you guys share with us the kind of workshops you would like. You can be as specific as you like (for example “I want a workshop on sestinas” ) or make some general comments about the kind of things you would like to get out of this workshop.

Also if you know of someone who perhaps is an ‘expert’ or a quality writer in some form, please feel free to suggest them as a host, and we will consider contacting them. We are also keen for those who are considering hosting a workshop to make themselves known. If you would like to do this to the group direct, please send us a note via the ‘contact us’ button.

We are very excited about our re-launch of this group, and hope you all are too!

Thank you

Becca

]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/27876130/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/27876130/ Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:40:29 PDT FAQs | Hosting a workshop | Writing Resources | Previous Workshops


Welcome to #Writers-Workshop submission guidelines!

How to Submit
1) After submitting your entry as a new deviation or scrap, please go to our gallery page and find the gallery folder for the current workshop.
2) At the top, you should see "Submit to this folder".
3) Select the deviation from your gallery, and click "okay".
4) The deadline will be announced on the main workshop journal page.
5) You may only submit one piece. The submission must be new and submitted after the start of the workshop.
6) Make sure you have followed the instructions given for the task, or your submission will be declined!



If you're not interested in workshopping (ie. you don't want to give comments and/or critique OR you don't want to receive advanced critique), but would still like to use this workshop as a prompt, don't submit to our gallery. Rather, just leave a link in a comment on the workshop journal entry.

]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/27774210/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/27774210/ Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:37:33 PDT
We're almost at 1000 watchers!

We have noticed a recent surge in watchers and interested members of the deviantArt community. Welcome to #Writers-Workshop

We are currently in a transitional stage, working out ways to make this workshop the best experience we can for you. Please bear with up during this period and we hope you guys come join in our relaunch workshops. Also note, we will be asking you guys for opinions on the workshop and it’s future shortly, as well as inviting you to volunteer for workshop hosts.


PLEASE NOTE

I have said this now in countless journals, but I need to say it again.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A GROUPIE TO BE A MEMBER OF THIS GROUP, JUST WATCH US.

As we are currently only a ‘basic’ group, we are limited to 100 groupies only. Therefore we made the decision from the start to leave the groupie positions for those members who have participated in the workshop previously and/or are prominent members of the literature community (I.e. GMs and seniors). This may change if and when we upgrade to a super group, but for now this is how it stands.

It really upsets me just how many groupie requests I have rejected so far because nobody has read what our groupies are. Some of you have left very sweet messages about why you want to be a groupie, which actually is why you want to be part of the workshop. I can not express enough that our group is open for everyone and you guys create your own experience of it, we just facilitate.


We look forward to seeing you guys participate in future workshops. More news will be coming you way very soon!

Thank you

`Beccalicious

]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/27312257/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/27312257/ Tue, 29 Sep 2009 07:21:17 PDT We've had no entries for this at all. I don't think we've ever had that for a workshop to date. If anyone is doing this, please reassure me!

Cheers!


Watcher or Groupie?

We are still getting a lot of people requesting for groupie status who have not previously been involved with the workshop. Whilst we appreciate your support, you only need to watch us to get involved with the workshops, you don’t have to be a groupie at all. We seem to be rejecting an awful lot of people because of this.

Remember, our groupie limit is only 100 at the moment, therefore we are only accepting previous involved members of the workshop and/or those who are actively involved in the literature community.

This is the last time I will repeat myself, because you guys can read J


New Workshop: All in the Interviews!

Interviews are a popular source to find out a little bit more about someone. They can be used to interview someone famous, or even to help find some primary research for an essay. If you read newspapers and magazines, they are often filled with these interviews, allowing you to have a little more insight to the person being interviewed. Even on deviantArt, you will see news articles popping up interviewing other members of the community talking about art work.

The task of this workshop is to write a nonfiction interview. You can interview anyone as long as it isn’t fictional and interview them about nay subject. This could be your friend, your dad, even another member of deviantArt. Once you have completed your interview, you need to consider how to write it up- whether you stick to a question and answer format, or write it into a nonfiction essay. Reading interviews in magazines and newspapers may help you decide.

The following links have some good resources to help you on writing your interview:

[link]
[link]
[link]


How to submit

This is a FREE FOR ALL workshop, but only nonfiction pieces will be accepted, no poetry.

Now, as we are a new group in testing, we want people to try and submit to the workshop themselves. If you can see the ‘contribute’ button in the top right of our front page, you should be able to suggest a deviation. We will then be able to approve this deviation to go straight into the workshop gallery (we hope).

If this process doesn’t work for you, don’t worry, we will still be able to get your piece if you just use the ‘contact us’ button and drop us a note with your piece in. Please let us know that you couldn’t do it the other way and tell us if you are a groupie, watcher or just anyone on dA.

Deadline for submissions will be Wednesday 30th September, with critique up to and results being discussed Sunday 4th October. Due to the adaptation to group status and testing for bugs still, this may change.

Feel free to post any queries here.

Thank you

]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/27115143/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/27115143/ Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:12:49 PDT
It is with deep regret I have to pass on this message, but I have discovered that one of our longest serving members to #Writers-Workshop has sadly passed way.

*kittyfantastic24 had a lot of time for this group, participating in at least nine of our workshops and had a very positive energy. Therefore we’d like to take a moment to thank her for her support and send love to her family and close friend’s offline, and on deviantArt.

Her obiturary can be found here: [link]



Thank you

Becca

]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/26974247/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/26974247/ Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:52:52 PDT
Even though we are in testing, we have a limit of 100 groupies. So far we have 50 groupies and have plenty room for more!

If you have been part of the workshop in the past and/or you are a member of the literature community, you are more than welcome to join up.

In the future, the role of groupies will be quite significant, so we appreciate the early support.

Also, please don't forget our poetry workshop. To submit your work, please hit the 'contact us' button and drop the link. You have until Saturday to submit, and we'll then dedicate a week to critique.

(Eventually this will be done much easier via collections, but there is a crazy bug stopping deviations even existing on this group.)

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions about the group and the changes, please leave them in this journal. We have lots of ideas, but would love to hear what you want too!

Thank you

Becca

]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/26901498/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/26901498/ Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:17:48 PST Applications for Contributors

Without a strong team behind the workshop, we cannot keep producing a decent workshop cycle after cycle. Although we have a core staff team, we also have contributor positions to support us.

Contributors come from two places. First of all, if our workshop host is not a member of the team, we will temporarily promote them to a level which means they can manage their workshop entirely. Therefore we will be very particular about host choices as it means that person will be able to view the back room of this group.

The second type of contributor is someone who is willing to dedicate time to the group. We ask people to commit- not just apply because you want to further yourself in deviantArt. The main duties of a contributor are:


1) To participate in as many workshops as you can, producing a relatively high quality example of what the workshop entails.

2) To offer critique on a number of the pieces of each workshop.

3) To help us promote, keep the enthusiasm, and encourage throughout the workshop.


We are seeking people who have been members of the workshop for a significant amount of time, who understand the nature of the workshop process. You also need to be a member of the literature community and have a majority of literature in your gallery.


How to Apply

If you would like to be considered as a contributor, please send us a note via the ‘contact us’ button with the following information:

An explanation as to why you would like to be a contributor
Information about you, your writing.
A list of any other groups, clubs and projects you are involved with, including any personal community work (I.e. if you produce a weekly news article etc)
Two examples of your critique (links will do)


Please Note

We are going to be quite tight with these positions, and although we are not limiting how many contributors we want, we are not going to accept everyone who applies. Please do not be disheartened if we decide not to accept your application at this time.

If you are accepted as a contributor, you will receive an invite to join the group in this position.


Last updated: 12th November 2009

]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/26889514/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/26889514/ Sat, 29 Aug 2009 06:04:53 PDT
For those who have noticed the change in symbol, #Writers-Workshop now has group status! We are now involved with the alpha testing of the system, meaning this is not quite yet a fully formed functional group.There will be a lot of playing around over the next few weeks, so please bear with us whilst these go on.

We still have ongoing workshops as per previous journal and will keep you up to date with what is going on.

Please note we only have room for 100 groupies. Groupies will be restricted for the time being to people who are part of the literaure community, and people who have contributed to the workshop in the past. If you are new to the workshop, we will not accept you as a groupie for now, but you can apply once the testing period is over. However, please still watch us and see how we develop- we appreciate the support.

We hope you are all as excited as we are!

Thank you

`Beccalicious

Founder of #Writers-Workshop

]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/26748924/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/26748924/ Fri, 11 Sep 2009 01:09:56 PDT

Update 7th September

Sorry for the delay, if you guys have seen my journal you'll know why!


Hello!

Entries for our current workshop are now closed. Here are those who have braved submission during our transition into groups.

The purpose of this workshop is to scrutinise yourself as a writer and consider why you chose to make certain word choices and lay your work in a certain form. When it comes to critique, I’d like you all to be encouraged to challenge these writers and push them to think about why and how they’ve created their poem.

Even if you did not submit a piece this time, we would like to encourage everyone to try and look at at least one or two pieces and give your feedback.


Love Life’s a Little Game by ~art-acheiver-4eva
Death will surround me by `BerylAlexandros
I do not deserve this by ~CatGirlPrime
My Logos by *Friedemann
A Note for farewell by ~mirageode
A Escape by ~PaperDart
CenturianRevolution by ~Skywalkingpiratesrus

Critique will end on Sunday 13th, and a new workshop will begin on Interviews.

------------------------------




This is the second of our in house workshops. By in house, we mean we will not be posting a news article, and the host of all the workshops will be me, `Beccalicious. This is a Poetry workshop.

From the Grandparents

The previous prose workshop was focussing on one example of a writing exercise that could contribute to the bigger picture of a story or novel. For novel writing, having a well defined character(s) is very important and if you can explore that character in as many ways as possible before you write the piece, you’ll find they’ll come more naturally to you to write. You should know everything about your characters, even the silly things such as what they like to eat, or if they were to do karaoke what their song would be. There things don’t fall into the book, and don’t even have to be written down, but each element builds a personality, something more real than a caricature so the audience can engage with them.

We had six entries for the last workshop, all of which took the task in its full stride and produced a wonderful history for a principal character. I was also pleased to see from those who responded to the pieces a intelligent analysis and discussion with the writers. I would have liked to see more of this discussion, not just on the written form, but also in the forum discussion set up for this. Even though this workshop is now passed, I would like to encourage people to continue these discussions.


Poetry Workshop: Style over Substance?

When you hear the word poetry, what is the first thing you think about? It is a collection of verses? A particular poem? O... ]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/26319794/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/26319794/ Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:01:33 PDT Update 18th August 2009

Hello

A poetry workshop will begin this weekend, but the current workshop is not over. There are 6 submissions which would really appreciate your feedback and review, and it would be good to see some response, even if you didn't participate yourself. Please check out the workshop submissions here:

[link]

As we are trying to change the way we work in the future, if anyone would like to leave constructive feedback as to why they didn't participate in this workshop, please do so on this journal.

Thank you


Update 13th August 2009

Last call for submissions- about 24 hours left! For everyone, including those who haven't submitted, please feel encouraged to go and look at the pieces people have produced in the collection and offer your thoughts and questions.

Update 9th August 2009

Well We've had a week now since this workshop began, and I'd like to see a few more submissions! We have had one so far, which is now in a collection: [link] ready for you to review. Don't be afraid to manke analysis and ask questions to the writers. I will keep adding submissions to the collection as more (hopefully) come in!


Workshop 1st August 2009

This is the first of our in house workshops. By in house, we mean we will not be posting a news article, and the host of all the workshops will be me, `Beccalicious. The first in this cycle is a prose workshop, a workshop I hope may inspire ideas for similar style workshops as it is a little different.

This workshop doesn’t require you to post a fully polished deviation. This is going to be something which will be posted as a scrap in your gallery and something which you may later use in future prose works. This workshop is an exercise, something which you can all have a go at, and it may or may not work for you.


From the Grandparents

When I was researching for my university dissertation, I interviewed several publish writers. I am not talking about ‘I met JK Rowling and Stephen King’; these were probably little known published writers, but still writers who wanted to discuss their craft and share their passions and inspirations. This exercise comes from something one of these writers said and I have now turned it into a writing exercise.

As you know, one of the key elements to a good story is believable characters an audience can connect to. We discussed this in one of my early workshops ‘What’s in a Name?’, and I encourage you to start discussing characters and what makes good characters, and poor characters in our forum: [link] It is important to consider various aspects, as a writer you need to form a bond with that character you are creating, especially if they are a principal character who lives through your storytelling.

This exercise is asking you all to either create a new character, or take a character from a story you may have started already and develop their past. What you will be doing in this exercise is telling us a little bit of their family history. Therefore we will be given a brief understand of the lives of two sets of grandparents and then their parents- yes that is 6 characters before you have even got to your own character, but their lives may have built the world your character will know. You only need to write a few paragraphs on each, perhaps if you get carried away then go for it if it helps you create.

I have already written an example of the exercise in my own gallery scraps to help you. In all honesty I didn’t have a main character or story when I started this; I just started from the first grandparent and let it grow. For those who don’t have a character or story, this exercise may inspire a new story for you: [link] (yes I know I have only done half of the characters!)

The context and genre of your work is entirely up to you. Please submit your work as a scrap and note the link to *Writers-Workshop. All submissions will be put into a collection from this workshop and can be reviewed by anyone in the collection. The deadline for all submissions is Wednesday 12th August.

In terms of reviewing the work, there won’t be a need to critique the technical side, but I encourage you all to review, give feedback and ask questions too about the work and about the characters. I will be looking in the r... ]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/26214055/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/26214055/ Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:46:21 PDT
This is an in-house workshop, there will be no news article so please keep your eyes out for the journal.

I am really looking forward to it, its been a while since I ran a workshop and I have THREE planned for the next six weeks which I hope you will all enjoy.

One prose
One poetry
One free for all.

*Writers-Workshop is still alive, still kicking and more than excited about the prospect of groups coming soon. For more information on groups, please see our previous journal: [link]

I am going to soon need some new staff, and just as importantly an abundance of workshop hosts. I have recieved a few notes, and will respond to these soon.

Thank you all, I hope to see you all here on Saturday watching with excitement!

`Beccalicious

]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/25793419/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/25793419/ Tue, 07 Jul 2009 10:25:15 PDT Writers-Workshop

Firstly, let me apologise sincerely for delaying this journal, which I should have posted over a month ago. I’d like to be able to provide you with a decent reasoning, but at the end of the day I should have posted a long time ago. However let’s not put it off any further.

Groups

At the end of the last workshop, I made a decision to put the workshop on hold until we knew how the introduction of groups would affect us. For those who are unaware of groups, firstly check out #hq. The groups system will revolutionise how a club such as this would operate and in a very positive way too.

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to meet $spyed and the rest of the HQ staff who joined the world tour in London. During this meet we were introduced to the full outlook of groups and how they will work. Personally this made me very excited because this group has masses of potential to operate effectively under the new system, and I want to share with you guys a little bit about that.

Firstly, the process of the workshop will change ever so slightly. Instead of using notes to submit to a workshop, any W-W member will be able to submit their deviation to a collection corresponding to this workshop. This will mean that the critique period can start the moment pieces are placed in this collection. We will still have submission deadlines, however late deviations can be submitted to any of the workshops. This means anyone can browse at their leisure and have a go at past workshops with ease. We will also set it up so each collection will have all the details of the workshop task, who hosted and the dates it ran.

As previous, our Members will not have to apply or note us to be part of the group. However we will now have to approve you as a member, giving you the rights to add deviations. Our Workshop hosts may also have temporary host status, meaning instead of us posting the journals that set the tasks, our hosts will be doing this instead. I am actually considering not posting a news article with every workshop and instead having a cycle review- however as you will see with a new poll I have just added, I would like your opinion on this.

Besides these changes, the concept of the workshop will run exactly how it previously did. We will still be running fortnightly workshops on a 6-week cycle of Prose, Poetry and free for all. We are still welcoming all sorts of workshop hosts and remind you again that anyone can host a workshop as long as a proposal is submitted. I will be reviewing how we look at proposals and also trying to variate the types of workshops we have.

I think we need to be clear on the fact workshops can be based on absolutely anything- not just restricted to form (Haiku, sonnet etc.), but we can focus on different elements of writing (such as character, dialogue etc), Genres (I want to see a horror fiction workshop!), or even simple themes (for example ^StJoan early on did a workshop with the theme of ‘Jazz’ ) and don’t forget that the Free for all workshops can look at other forms where literature is used such as Journalism, Nonfiction writing, Scriptwriting and text art etc. I want everyone to try and think of a workshop they could host and submit ideas. The staff will be here to help you with the process.

Speaking of staff, I want to confirm I will be looking for a handful of new staff. There will be different roles sharing the workload so that it doesn’t come across as too much. However saying that, if you want to be considered to join the staffing team, I will request you do give this a good level of commitment and not just join to see your name on another page of dA. The new system will mean different people will be given different rights, from being able to approve members and deviations, right up to being able to add modules or review host requests. I am not looking for lots of people, but don’t want to give an exact number in case I change my mind. However if you want to join our team, and want to express an interest, please send a note to *Writers-Workshop or to me explaining why you would like to be involved.

None of these changes are 100% definate until groups officially comes into action. Until we get to play with it ourselfs we won't be able to see the full advantage the new system will have.


What about the meantime?

Part of me wants to keep the decision of keeping the workshop on hold whilst the new system is implemented. At the HQ meet, we were told this would be around 6 weeks, but realistically we ar... ]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/24617473/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/24617473/ Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:16:25 PDT Update 5th June

Hello.

The level critique so far on this workshop has been a bit low. We like to encourage critique because it benefits both the writer and the person giving critique. Considering how many people participated in this workshop, I would have thought more of you guys would be looking at each others' work.

The deadline for this workshop is tomorrow night where we will close pending the groups takeover. Please make the most of this opportunity.

Thank you.

P.S. Also our subscription has expired.

Update 28th May

An ABUNDANCE of entries for this workshop. We've got some excellent pieces of work here, just waiting for your critique and thoughts. You've got a week to check these out and at the end of the workshop, we'll be especially checking out peoples critique so use this opportunity to show off!


Poetry

There once was a -grumble- by *batousaijin (limericks)
s_duction by =AstarteKatz (lipogram)
soon by =Francine1991 (details)
wolves at the door by =Francine1991 (I, Me, Myself)
The Ecstasy of Gold by *Anavah (NonFiction Poetry)
The Great Divide by *Anavah (Groom your poem!)
One Morning by a Roadside Cafe by ~Elmara (Jazz)
Sepia Evening Cinema by ~Elmara (The Lady and the Rogue)




Prose

For King and Country by ~Writer-on-the-Wall (Flash Fiction)
Believe by ~Imperial-Obsession (Creative nonfiction)
Auribus Teneo Lupum by ~kato96 (What’s in a Name?)
Dialogue for a scene about fucking by ~wretchedteddy (Discovering Dialogue)
The Indivisible Image Machine by ~GrecianUrn (Magic Realism)
Inspectorings WW-TWYND by ~Fred-S-Kaed (Elementary)
T h e T h o r n w o o d by ~Imperial-Obsession (Twisted Stories)
Botanical Garden by =Lilith-Elina (Twisted Stories)
Blessed Flowers- revised by =Lilith-Elina (great revision expedition)
Ever Dream by ~mirageode (Existentialism)



`Beccalicious’s Workshop: The Workshop you neve... ]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/24616496/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/24616496/ Wed, 06 May 2009 11:01:59 PDT

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Thank you to everyone who took part in the workshop! I'd like to apologize right off the bat for my comments being so minimal, but I figured it would be easiest to address the overall issues with everyone, rather than re-typing everything individually. The only real issue that most of you had with the limericks was the meter. There was a comment that ~starrsilver made about how her impressionwas that the meter should be "pretty close to anapestic trimeter and dimeter". In a few ways, the meter of a limerick can be a bit faked, certainly. Take this rather well known limerick, for example:

There WAS a young LAdy of NIger
Who SMILED as she RODE on a TIger;
They reTURNED from the RIDE
With the LAdy inSIDE,
And the SMILE on the FACE of the TIger.

Now, in this instance, the first two lines are in amphibrachic trimeter. This is pretty standard for limericks, and as such isn't a concern. The next two lines are in anapestic dimeter, which is common for the third and fourth lines of limericks as well. But check the fifth line. It looks like anapestic trimeter, save for that last unstressed syllable at the end. As far as looking at the meter goes, it is awkward. However, when reading it aloud, it flows quite nicely.

Therein lies the issue. It's not entirely on, but it is close, save for that final syllable. As such, it is a bit easy to fake, but it's still a good idea to go for the correct meter, as it's easier to work with than just making things up.

That said, there were a lot of interesting takes on the limerick for this workshop, and I'd like to particularly note =BobSmith006's incredibly twisted but amusing anti-limerick (it's the second one). I also got a good kick out of *Queen-of-Marigold's limerick, as well as ~starrsilver's limericks (and the title, too, gotta love Batman references).

Thank you again to everyone who took part, I'll try to leave more feedback for everyone as soon as I can.

]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/24369589/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/24369589/ Fri, 01 May 2009 11:31:08 PDT

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Update 1st May

I apologise for the slight delay we’re suffering with w-w at the moment! I’ve been a bit unwell and then my workplace decided to block dA, so I am a little behind.

We have some limericks that have been submitted for this workshop, so lets get stuck in and make the most of the new critique feature!

Limericks Workshop by =BobSmith006
Peru Shoes by ~Graphite325
Looney Limericks by ~Kitz-the-Kitsune
A study in Limerick by =KrystalIce
Goober Lear’s limericks by ~qpidity101
Another limerick by *Queen-of-Marigold
Holy limericks Batman by ~starrsilver



26 April 2009

Despite lots of interest, we don't actually have any entries for this workshop yet, so here is a friendly reminder! Remember you have till Wednesday midnight GMT to get them noted to us!


22 April 2009

`GaioumonBatou's Workshop: Limericks!


`GaioumonBatou has nothing to say about his ridiculous username, or even much about himself for that matter. A second-year English Literature major, he's still got a long way to go on the road to learning, but he is happy about that as well. He currently attends university in southern California and on off-seasons lives at home with his family.

LIMERICKS!

Limericks are a short form of poetry, made to have a humorous edge to them. They are comprised of five lines with an AABBA rhyme scheme, so that the first, second, and fifth lines will rhyme with each other, and the third and fourth lines will rhyme, but not with the other three lines. The Wikipedia page is surprisingly helpful when it comes to information on the limerick, so give it a read if you've got the chance, particularly the "Form" section and the links on the two most common types of meter used in limericks. Often, limericks begin with "There once was a..." or "There was a...", but that's not entirely necessary. The main point is for them to get a laugh. They are often used as forms of satire as well, and one of my favorite examples of satirical limericks are Wendy Cope's Waste Land Limericks, which take jabs at T.S Eliot's poem, "The Waste Land". (Don't worry, you won't be expected to have read Eliot for this! I'm merely including a link as a reference to show the satir... ]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/24369429/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/24369429/ Tue, 21 Apr 2009 22:33:42 PDT

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`Amberlouie's Comments:

I was really impressed with the standard of writing that arose from ‘Netting the Vignette’. Especially the people who took up the challenging typo of composing a Vignette out of 50 words, kudos! What was striking was the multitude of perspectives and approaches, in particular:

two of hearts by ~brytning captured my attention, not only because it was exactly 50 words in length, but the metaphor of the cards/pyramid was constructed with much care. The story based on love wasn’t clichéd. It was just honest and I honed into the emotions carried through in such a small piece. Good things come in small packages with ~brytning’s piece.

I was pleasantly surprised by The Rose by =Lilith-Elina. The piece is wrought with heavy description which make “The Rose” feel almost magical. It is interesting to see two pieces touched on the theme of flora. Something as simplistic as a rose comes out well through the authors almost filmic descriptions.

To topple the impressed meter was ~Kitz-the-Kitsune’s piece, Windowsill Memories. This piece in the vignette style injects a focus as miniscule as the pot plant which then injects both a sense of loneliness, beauty and fragility. A very beautiful read.

Thank you for participating in the workshop, and I congratulate everyone who tried the vignette style. I truly loved reading each piece. Keep supporting *Writers-Workshop and in doing so experience more with your writing and potential!

--

Thanks for taking part, everyone! Look out for our news article and journal on limericks!

]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/24093393/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/24093393/ Thu, 16 Apr 2009 01:59:55 PDT

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Update 16/04/09

This workshop is now CLOSED. We have eight delightful entries, plus three bonus 50 word stories at the bottom. As usual, we want to encourage critique, and now that there is a new subscriber feature for critique this would be a great opportunity to show us what you can do as a critic!

Healthy Eating by *msklystron
Granola by ~LunaticStar
The Rose by =Lilith-Elina
Windowsill Memories by ~Kitz-the-Kitsune
The Tide by ~Halatia
Highway Signs by *GrecianUrn
Mess and Margaret by ~brytning
Spring’s Caste by =AstarteKatz


Before the typing error of word limit was noticed, we had a few entries with only 50 word limits. Although they are now not part of the task, they are still worth having a read.

Two of Hearts by ~brytning
The Future is all we’ve got by ~humorous-asterisk
Truly Guilty by ~lighting-jolt



Update 15/04/09

After having 5 days off work, `Beccalicious thought today was Monday! Actually it is Wednesday and that means last call for submissions for this workshop! Please ensure your piece is in before Midnight GMT.

Thank you



Update 07/04/09

Please note! There was a typing error in our write up for this workshop and therefore please be aware the word count for this task is 500 words, and not 50 as originally stated. We apologise to anyone who may have already submitted.



`Amberlouie’s Workshop: Netting the Vignette


`Amberlouie... ]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/24091600/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/24091600/ Mon, 06 Apr 2009 10:49:31 PDT

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To analyse yourself critically can be a difficult task. There is a conflict between modesty and confidence, understanding your personal strengths and weaknesses and of course how to work on those. As a writer it is an important step for improvement in your work.

Critique is an essential part of a growing writer. We cannot always rely on another person to do this for us, no matter how many new systems and encouragements are implemented into the process. Sometimes taking a step back away from your writing, and analysing not just the piece in front of you, but your style, your eye for detail and understanding where you are with your writing can be just as must, if not more beneficial than someone else telling you how to improve your work. In fact the experience can reinvigorate old passions or encourage you to challenge yourself in more ways than you could think.

*Writers-Workshop is essentially a place for challenge, one where we have such a variety of different forms, genres and themes to help you exercise your creative mind, you are actually exercising yourself and learning new aspects of your writing as you go along. We enjoy being able to offer that to our members and know by the levels of participation there is enjoyment from you also.

This workshop was a chance for you to take your writing and view it in a new perspective; A chance for you to question yourself and re-question yourself. You were able to not only reflect once, but through discussion given a chance to seek more understanding of yourself as a writer. This self-evaluation has hopefully given you some new ideas and refreshed your mind into how and why you write.

If you didn’t take part in this fortnight’s task, we would like to encourage you perhaps in your own time to partake in a form of self evaluation of yourself as a writer and your work.

We don’t have any top picks for this results entry, simply because we feel this isn’t the kind of workshop that warrants it. What we would like to do is thank everyone who got involved in the discussions of these because the level of discussion was high and interesting.

]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/23859648/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/23859648/ Wed, 01 Apr 2009 21:32:53 PDT

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2 April

Details week is now over! Below you'll find a list of all the entries, PLEASE READ AND COMMENT ON THEM or else the purpose of the week will have been wasted.

In the order we received them:

DW: The Writer by =myah5000
Details week meme by ~LunaticStar
Details by ~Darn-Im-Frustrated
Writer's Reflection by =illuminara
Questions & Answers by *Seeker-Mar
Self-Analysis by ~humorous-asterisk
Details Week: Writers-Workshop by ~Elmara
A writer's details by ~Halatia
Writing Reflection by =gatogirl12345
Countdowns by `GaioumonBatou
Wherein dwells the devil. by =Cilin-Hopchurch
Details Week! by *RickDanger

31 March

Friendly reminder, this closes in less than 24 hours, please note us with a link to your responses if you haven't already.

24 March 2009

Hello workshoppers! As you may have noticed, the two workshops in this cycle have dealt with focusing on detail (and lack thereof) and the importance of detail in writing. That said, Becca and I have decided that it would be a good idea to have some reflection on the details of the writers behind the writing. Therefore, we bring you Details Week! Let us know where you stand, the details of you as a writer and where you are with your writing.

A few things to consider when writing:

What reason(s) do you write for?
Do you take your writing seriously?
If so, when did you start taking writing seriously?
Where do you feel you stand as a writer?
What do you feel you do well? (ie, chara... ]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/23833686/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/23833686/ Sun, 22 Mar 2009 14:38:36 PDT

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A word from *Writers-Workshop

Thank you to everyone who participated in this workshop.

We have been noticing in recent workshops that we’re getting a lot of people who are submitting works, but not joining in the other half of the workshop which is the critique and feedback side. The concept of the workshop is that it is the entire process from theme idea, to produced personal attempt and then to view each others’ piece and how the theme has been approached. You can learn a lot from reading and critiquing others’ work, and we are also here to encourage redrafting using the feedback.

In our next few workshops we will be looking out for the people who complete the workshop in full, mean beyond just submitting a piece. We can not force you to critique, nor do we expect you to critique every single piece, but we encourage it with sincerity and passion.

And in saying that we would like to give some special mentions to ~Elmara and *GrimEden who haven’t just taken the time to get stuck into critiques in this round, but two people who have been consistently involved in the recent workshops in a complete manner. Thank you.


^fllnthblnk’s response:



I was excited to see that eleven of you decided to step up to the challenge, submitting poems that included details to help make them feel genuine and authentic. A few pieces really stood out to me. *GrimEden's One Dozen did more than just describe flowers he received. Mentioning a bouquet being rescued from a Walgreens compactor really convinced me that this happened to the poet; why a Walgreens compactor specifically? It must be true if it's not just any old compactor--the kind of details I really wanted from the poems submitted. Also mentioning a mother's Lalique vase made the poem authentic. It wasn't just any vase... it was a Lalique vase!

~Kitz-the-Kitsune in Long Distance Relationship mentions a homeless man to whom she and others gave Chick-Fil-A biscuits. The specific restaurant's food really engaged me to the poem and made it feel believeable. The poet also mentions the magnolias she misses, describing them as big white umbrella flowers. I like how she gets specific and doesn't just speak of any flowers. They were magnolias that reminded her of umbrellas.

Although I enjoyed some of the details in *RickDanger's poem Morning Ritual, such as the green tea leaves and freshly eaten oranges, a critique put it succinctly by stating "...the detail consumed what was going on so I was only getting objects and not what they were connceted to or stood for." I agree. I believe it is important to not just bombard a reader with detail, but to help guide them as to their importance and meaning in a poem.

I love street names in poetry. It gives a poem a better sense of place. Lewisville by `BerylAlexandros mentions Holland Road and t... ]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/15671079/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/15671079/ Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:38:17 PDT ARCHIVE OF PREVIOUS WORKSHOPS

This is a list of all previous workshops hosted at #Writers-Workshop. Although these workshops are closed and the individual hosts are not committed to critiquing late submissions, we recommend you try these anyway, as they are excellent exercises for any writer looking to hone his or her skills.

CYCLE FOURTEEN

September 20, 2009 | #Writers-Workshop's in-house free-for-all workshop: All In The Interview
August 23, 2009 | #Writers-Workshop's in-house poetry workshop: Style Over Substance
August 1, 2009 | #Writers-Workshop's in-house prose workshop: From the Grandparents

CYCLE THIRTEEN

May 7, 2009 | `Beccalicious's blast from the past workshop: That Workshop You Never Did | News Article
April 22, 2009 | `GaioumonBatou's poetry workshop: Limericks! | News Article | Host's Responses
April 7, 2009 | `Amberlouie's prose workshop: Netting the Vignette | News Article | Host's Responses

CYCLE TWELVE

March 24, 2009 | `Beccalicious's details week workshop: Details Week | | Host's Responses
March 9, 2009 | ^fllnthblnk's poetry workshop: It's All In The Details | News Article | Host's Responses
February 24, 2009 | ~Queen-of-Marigold's prose workshop: Seeing is Believing | News Article | Host's Responses

CYCLE ELEVEN

February 08, 2009 | ^ArtisticAunJuli's free-for-all workshop: http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/23594348/ Wed, 18 Mar 2009 23:18:20 PDT

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19 March 2009

This workshop is now CLOSED. Please leave some feedback for the eleven entries for this workshop, and in the meanwhile ^fllnthblnk will be reading as well!

There's An Art To It by =use-the-force
Morning Ritual by *RickDanger
Ship of Fools by ~RevMEATZ
The Dreams In Which I'm Dying by *orphicfiddler
The Cry of the Wolf by ~Link8522
Long Distance Relationship by ~Kitz-the-Kitsune
One Dozen v_03 by *GrimEden
The Dream of the Attendant Ant by ~Elmara
Flight of Heaven by ~Darn-Im-Frustrated
Lewisville by `BerylAlexandros
beachy keen by =AstarteKatz

18 March 2009

Friendly reminder, there's about 16 hours until this workshop ends. Please note us your entries if you haven't already!

14 March 2009

Friendly reminder, this workshop ends on Wednesday. We'd like to see a few more entries come in before the deadline, so get to it!

8 March 2009


^fllnthblnk, aka William Soule, is a Filipino-American poet from northern Utah. He reads a lot of poetry, both published and unpublished, both contemporary and old-school, and has poems published in Read This Magazine, elimae, Tattoo Highway, and Alba, among others. The poems he enjoys best are the ones you can understand. He also has a penchant for cookies.

AUTHENTICITY: It's All In The Details

One of the biggest hurdles a poet could face: how to make a poem genuine. Avid readers of poetry have probably stumbled upon many poems written by young poets that are too alike--identical twins you couldn't tell apart til they explained to you who was who, that Tim's the one with the small scar under his eye when, as a toddler, he found the kitchen shears and that Jim has the slightly bent nose from that biking accident last year. To make your poems genuine, to separate your poems from everyone else's, it is important to put these sort of details into the poems themselves instead of waiting for someone to ask for an exp... ]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/14159566/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/14159566/ Sat, 14 Mar 2009 15:40:14 PDT

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STAFF




MEMBERS


This is a list of everyone involved in our workshop as a member. To become a member, simply watch us and we'll watch you back! Check out the FAQ for more details.

Members marked with a are those who have hosted/are hosting a workshop.
The links next to members names are those pieces submitted to workshops.

If you see any errors in this, or your name is missing etc, please feel free to drop us a note and let us know.

If you no longer wish to be a member, please note us so we can remove you from this list.

Last updated 14/03/09





0-9

*007-seriously-serial
~007-flyboy
~0r4nos
~2pinksink [link]
~8ankH [link] [link] [link] [link] [link] [link]

A

~Abbi456
~a-broken-soul [link]
=absolutpe
~AckBo [link]
*Adeimantus
~Admantina [link]
~Aethelwolfess [link] [link]
~against-all-elements
~Aileena-Marusaki
~airchildstrega
=AiweAlako
`alienhead
~Almost-Certain [link]
=http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/21279013/ Sat, 14 Mar 2009 15:40:10 PDT

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STAFF




MEMBERS


This is a list of everyone involved in our workshop as a member. To become a member, simply watch us and we'll watch you back! Check out the FAQ for more details.

Members marked with a are those who have hosted/are hosting a workshop.
The links next to members names are those pieces submitted to workshops.

If you see any errors in this, or your name is missing etc, please feel free to drop us a note and let us know.

If you no longer wish to be a member, please note us so we can remove you from this list.

Last updated 14/03/09


N

~name--whoop--name
*naquoya
~Nashnir
~needywriter
~Nefex [link]
~Neftoon-Zamora [link] [link]
=Negated [link]
~Negi-Ramen
~Nicktroptopolis [link]
*NimsaYNerd [link]
~Ninva
*noonelovesme194
~Notoday
=No-where-man
~nuisance15
=Nyachu [link]
~nylorac

O

~oblivion00 [link] [link] [link] [link]
~omfgawaffle
~http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/23592632/ Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:33:33 PDT

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A word from *Writers-Workshop:

This is the first time in a few cycles where we've had a decent amount of entries for a prose workshop, so many thanks to everyone who took part!

Special mentions for this workshop go to *cloudtographer, =Deadrosebud, and ~Halatia, who all made rounds on pretty much every piece!


*Queen-of-Marigold's Comments:


It was very exciting to see the number of people who entered into the workshop, and every one of them did a great job. Reading these pieces, I have been from heaven to a (nearly) dead planet, to the fairy's realm and a future where animals can be made human by science. Some people chose to use an overflowing of adjectives to create their scenario and others made an entire piece using the reader's own associations and it was fascinating to look at each approach individually as well as a group.

All nine of these entries were fantastic, but I would like to draw particular attention to two of them.

In a short space, ~Halatia's piece offered up a snapshot that was remarkably detailed - despite the science fiction feeling, the desert and the narrator's frustration are so easy to relate to that it isn't hard to believe the rest of the story.

Truly in the spirit of this workshop, *Memnalar's piece created an unusual scenario - who can read this piece and not believe in those marauding dragons when they are backed up by the kinds of emotions and people we experience every day in our own lives?

I encourage everyone to continue working on their own methods of description, and to study the way others use it to create the imagery within their writing. It varies from writer to writer and even within one person's own work. A strong description of character and setting - whether detailed or merely relatable - can be the difference between a story that your reader will or will not be engaged by.
I hope that you will all polish your entries, and that in future you will always consider your descriptions - are you convincing your reader?

Thank you to everyone who participated, you are awesome

--

Congratulations everyone and thank you for your hard work! Look out for our news article and journal with a workshop on detail in poetry!

]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/23374455/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/23374455/ Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:56:35 PST

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4 March 2009

This Workshop is now CLOSED. Please comment and critique the nine entries we received for this workshop.

Let's Adventure by =Cilin-Hopchurch
Felix by *cloudtographer
Bellyache by =Deadrosebud
Dead Planet by ~Halatia
Workshop: Seeing is Believing. by ~Imperial-Obsession
In the Forest by =Lilith-Elina
Milk Run by *Memnalar
I See Nothing by ~qpidity101
Melody's First Day by *Seeker-Mar

3 March 2009

Just a reminder, there is less than 24 hours until the workshop closes. Please get your entries in as soon as possible, thank you!

*Queen-of-Marigold's Workshop: Seeing is Believing


*Queen-of-Marigold - reader, writer and self-confessed sucker for a half-decent romance. During term she is a respectable citizen but holidays bring out her best and worst when the lack of a defined schedule allows her to keep crazy hours. Then in the depths of the night she commits her greatest grammatical atrocities, releases the plot bunnies and allows her inner fangirl to truly run wild. *Queen-of-Marigold believes that wording is everything and does not advocate sleep loss as a failsafe inspirational aid.

SEEING IS BELIEVING

Every good liar knows that the key to a believable lie - other than its simplicity - is in its details, and this is true in writing too. This is the point where many writers (and liars) fall down, particularly as beginners. They go overboard on the detail, bombarding their audience with more information than they need, want, or will ever remember. Or they go to the other extreme, leaving their tale so bare that the reader has no idea what to imagine when it comes to setting, character and action.

A good description should be concise - long and detailed enough that the reader can create a clear mental image, and short enough that they needn't drift off partway through a paragraph. This is true for every genre, whether it be epic fantasy, historic romance or a... ]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/23374355/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/23374355/ Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:52:10 PST

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I am unbelievably proud with the results of the workshop. When I was approached with the opportunity to host it, I was excited and nervous--how many people would take on the challenge? Better yet, how many people would take it seriously?

The answer is 10. Ten wonderful writers took on the challenge, and all of them did a wonderful job. The entries are both pleasing, entertaining, and all of them could be likely in an unlikely situation. I enjoyed the different voices from each of the writers and the approach they took to ensure fanfiction to be unique while still holding tight to the characters/world they borrowed.

I was impressed with the amount of entries that took the fan fiction element and spun it into an engaging story. Even if I wasn't on level with all of the fandoms, I was quickly pulled into the storyline, the amount of detail given (never too much, but always just enough) was refreshing and pushed me out of the monotonous description dumps that clutter most fanfiction.

If I had to pick a star from these ten, I'd quickly point out ~LunaticStar's Lost to the Wind God. From the get go, this fiction pulled me in and hauled me along for the ride. Flashback scenes can usually go one or two ways: Good or bad. This writer's usage of the flashback enhanced the story and gave us a lot of information in an interesting and timely way. I've never read any Star Wars fan fiction, but this one was great!

I encourage all of you to read the ten pieces. If you have little time on your hands, pick one or two. Get in there and leave these writer's with information that can help bring their writing to a different level. Fan fiction or not, it is writing, and good writing helps make good fan fiction!

To the writers who participated: Thank you for taking the challenge, and I will be sending you each a note with a personal critique!

--

Look out for our news article and journal with our next workshop, coming soon!

]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/23104678/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/23104678/ Thu, 19 Feb 2009 03:22:07 PST

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19 February 2009

Hello

This workshop is now CLOSED for entries, but is open for critique and feedback. Ten people have bravely taken the plunge into a topic which has seemed quite controversial for a workshop in some people’s eye, so we congratulate them for taking on the challenge. When critiquing this round, we encourage you all to critique how you normally would with any form of writing.

Restaurant Break by =Amimone (Prison Break)
Precious Stones: Topaz by ~Celestial-Gold (Fire Emblem(8): Sacred Stones)
Appointment by *cloudtographer (Twilight)
Lost to the Wind God by ~LunaticStar (Star Wars)
So Sabotage by =Nyachu (Sonny with a Chance)
Epilogue, Five years Later by *Seeker-Mar (Harry Potter)
Transformers Consequences by *sejongkim1979 (Transformers)
FanFiction: Runescape by ~Writer-on-the-Wall (Runescape)
Ron, the mission and a Muggle by *xCamix (Harry Potter)
Dragonfly’s Heart: Chapter 1 by =YukiMizuno (Ed, Edd, ‘n’ Eddy)



18 Feb 2009

There is about an hour left to get your submissions in people!

That is all



^ArtisticAunJuli’s Workshop: Fan Fiction


When not perusing the Fan Art & Fan Fiction galleries on deviantART, ^ArtisticAunJuli lounges around the house with her fiance's Greek family and eats bread, grapes, and feta cheese. Spending most of her time on deviantART as the Fan Art Gallery Moderator, she spends the in-between hours writing short stories, working on her novels, and catching up on her commissioned artwork.


Fan Fiction


Fan fiction intrigues me. The ability to extend the creations of an established world of characters and make your favorite book, tv show, or movie continue long after their creators have passed on--or have closed the book--is amazing. The honor that comes with being able to 'take over' and allow it to live on dictates a level of writing that is honest and true to the original creation.

Various types of fanfiction can be found on deviantART and... ]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/23104634/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/23104634/ Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:03:52 PST

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Results of =fense’s Workshop on Nonfiction Poetry

A word from *Writers-Workshop:

It is always wonderful to see a workshop which has a large quantity of entries and even more so when our previous workshop only had the one entry. We also had some excellent comments and critique all round.

Also for everyone who submitted this time, we would like to direct your attention to the literary magazine ~Soundzine who are looking for sonnets for their next edition. Maybe after some polishing you should all consider submitting- you never know it may get accepted!


=fense’s Top Picks:

:devfenses: results are currently unavailable. However these will be updated in this workshop journal in due course, so watch out!

]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/22822458/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/22822458/ Thu, 05 Feb 2009 06:47:48 PST

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5 February 2009

Wow! 23 Entries submitted. Congratulations everyone, there is a lot to look at but if you all could take a few to look at and chare your feedback, as always we would much appreciate it. We don’t expect anyone to attempt to look at all 23 mind, so don’t push yourselves unless you really fancy it! :devfemse: will also be reading these entries and will provide a write up at our next update (8th February)

Also for everyone who submitted this time, we would like to direct your attention to the literary magazine ~Soundzine who are looking for sonnets for their next edition. Maybe after some polishing you should all consider submitting- you never know it may get accepted!


In my mind there is no Doubt by *xCamix
When Meeting She by ~TocTicTocTic
Farewell to the Heroes by ~SkyeVeran
The Muted Pencil by ~SirNerian
A Sonnet to Calculus by ~sentimental-rain
Spaced Out by *RickDanger
Avalons Decieved Princess by =Rellaenthia
Legacy by ~Razput1n
A Daydreamers Vow by ~PunkPygmiePuff
Love in a Mousehole by *orphicfiddler
Mistress Moon by *NimsaYNerd
The Workings of Fate by ~Link8522
The Affair of Silent Love by *KeeperOfLight
Freely Written Sonnet by ~Kitz-the-Kitsune
Summer’s Night by ~Halatia
Sonnet II, or Batou Learns His Forms...Poorly by `GaioumonBatou
Winter’s Reign by =Francine1991
A Phrase by ~EvenAfterTwelve
... ]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/22821618/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/22821618/ Mon, 26 Jan 2009 11:20:11 PST

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*wordworks's workshop results are currently not avalaible, but once they are this journal will be updated.

Thank you for your patience.

]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/22554732/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/22554732/ Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:04:06 PST

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This workshop is now CLOSED for entries.

Right guys, we have only had ONE entry for this workshop, which is a shame considering how good the workshop task was. Maybe time or January haze was an issue, but never mind now. What we want from all of you is a wondrous overdose of CRITIQUE and FEEDBACK on this one entry. There is no excuse, just have a good go at sharing your observations and thoughts about this piece and give some love to the only entry.



The Magic Spray Can By ~Brisp





Update 25 jan

Guys we have less than 6 horus left until the deadline. Please make sure you note us your entries before midnight GMT.

Thank you


*wordworks’s Workshop: The Tale as Truth: Modern Folk Narrative



*wordworks is a twenty-four year old writer living in Philadelphia, in the United States. She is currently employed by a private university and is working towards her second Masters degree. She has been a member of deviantART since February 2007. She likes coffee and Clint Eastwood; she would face a moral dilemma if asked to choose between the two.


The Tale as Truth: Modern Folk Narrative

Hello everyone and welcome to my Workshop! I'm elated to be appearing as a host and hope you'll find this week's task stimulating. The theme has hitherto remained a mystery, even to the Writer's Workshop staff, whose patience may be only be described as saintly. However, the time has come to throw down the gauntlet. First, we'll begin with a question.


What is a Folk Narrative?

According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, the term folklore refers to the "total of traditionally derived and orally or imitatively transmitted literature, material culture, and custom of subcultures within predominantly literate and techonologically advanced societies."

If that academic definition leaves you feeling dizzy, do not despair; you actually know more about folklore than you probably realize. The beauty of folklore is that it is the creation of a culture and exists in even the smallest cracks. This becomes apparent in the much more concrete definition of folk literature:

"it is transmitted by word of mouth and consists, as does written literature, of both prose and verse narratives, poems and songs, myths, dramas, rituals, proverbs, riddles, and the like. Nearly all known peoples, now or in the past, have produced it."

While the folktale may be transmitted in a variety of forms, what I would like to focus on for this workshop is the folk narrative. This form of folktale takes many shapes itself, but familiar shapes. If you have ever read a fairy tale, been told a ghost story, or been passed an urban legend, you have come into direct contact with the folk narrative.

In fact, I wager many of you are already intimiately familiar with one of the first apperances of a recorded folk narrative, if you recognize the names "Hansel" and "Gretel".

True, it is common knowledge that story Hänsel und Gretel was published by the Brothers Grimm in the 19th... ]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/22541622/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/22541622/ Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:25:56 PST

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A word from *Writers-Workshop

This workshop was quite successful, with 26 entries taking very different approaches, and it looked to me like most everyone was successful to some degree. Thanks to all of the people who made rounds leaving feedback, there were a fair amount of you, and I'm sure the workshoppers were grateful for the feedback.

`Beccalicious's response:

When I decided upon this workshop idea, I had originally wanted to incorporate the use of music introductions to help inspire and influence people. However I am glad I avoided this, because the way this workshop has worked has given everyone a raw own framework opening to a possible longer piece.

The beginning of a piece of writing is perhaps one of those elements that perhaps isn’t realised just how important a factor it is. It doesn’t matter what form you are writing in either, if it is fiction or nonfiction, writing a play or a poem. They all need to draw in the reader and engage them straight away to help get them to continue reading your piece.


Although there were only two poetry entries, I can’t echo again that this does apply to all forms of writing and although people may be more encouraged to read a whole poem due to length, if the beginning isn’t interesting the level at which the rest of the poem is read at may be with low expectations.

As for the prose entries, I was impressed to see so many, as well as a good range and volume of critique and responses. It reassured me who when seeing that there were 25 entries knew I would struggle to respond to every single one. There was also a great deal of effort made by those who had submitted, responding to their critique in a way which to me is a true element of workshopping work.

What interested me in this workshop is that people won’t ever get it right first time, and that will be the same for most writers. I think that there are people who do think that these things can work out brilliant on the first attempt and they won’t ever have to redraft. If we’re looking at an initial paragraph or stanza, without some dedicated redrafting you will not get that hook for your audience. I also found it interesting that because people participating were restricted to only writing the first paragraph, a lot of information was being crammed into that first paragraph. I believe the people who had that overbearing information were the ones who had drawn out more of an idea of where this piece was going to go and perhaps the excitement of starting a new piece with such little space to write in was why they were so packed. The good thing is that upon revision these pieces can be pulled out and separated into more than one paragraph. There was also a lot of ‘telling’ instead of ‘showing’ in the pieces, again perhaps the restriction of the single paragraphs affected the writings. When you are writing you want your audience to be there too, visualising and sensing where they are and what they see, and realising that the characters being described are real. It is an element of writing that only comes with constant practice and development.

There were some good attempts, some which did provoke interest further and with some polishing there could give us what we are looking for. ~Nicktroptopolis for example in Gone created a wonderful beginning, presenting us to a character and then a series of events that had led up to a rather unhappy conclusion. *RickDanger with War Given Right also delivered an interesting character that people could instantly recognise and... ]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/22269400/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/22269400/ Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:25:01 PST

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8 January 2009

This workshop is now CLOSED. Please comment on some of the entries, with 26 to choose from, let's try and give everyone some feedback!

Poetry

Hektor by ~sply-dude
Burying Grounds by ~forWinds

Prose

Story-starter. by ~wonderfulrachel
New Beginnings by =TenshiKoneko
War Given Right by *RickDanger
Put That On My Tab by *Queen-of-Marigold
story prologue for workshop by ~phillGH
Gone by ~Nicktroptopolis
Writers Workshop- Beginnings 2 by =myah5000
Manitingon and the Skymaiden by ~mirageode
Three beginnings by ~Meermaedchen
One Day News by `leoraigarath
Scarlet Tube Top by ~Kitz-the-Kitsune
New Beginnings Entry by ~Imperial-Obsession
An Indecisive Beginning by ~Halatia
Winter's Eyes by ~Elmara
Fifty Nine by ~Desert-Lilly
A Definite Uncertainty by ~CyberPhantom
new beginnings entry by ~csbhagya
A Beginning - 80 words by *cloudtographer
Untitled First Paragraph by `BerylAlexandros
http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/15215693/ Wed, 07 Jan 2009 06:06:58 PST

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WORKSHOP SCHEDULE


Welcome to the *Writers-Workshop diary! Here you will find a list of all workshops conducted with dates. Each workshop lasts for a fortnight, and the exercises are rotated between prose, poetry and a free-for-all session. For more information, try our FAQ section.


Last updated on January 7, 2009







CYCLE ELEVEN: Don’t mock it till you try it!

This cycle of workshops is looking at some common writing genres that often turn peoples noses up!



PROSE


*wordworks's workshop:
January 11, 2009
Deadline: January 21, 2009
Short description:
*wordworks's responses:

POETRY

=fense's workshop: Simply the Sonnet
January 25, 2009
Deadline: February 04, 2009
Short description:
=fense's responses:

FREE-FOR-ALL

^ArtisticAunJuli's workshop: Fan Fiction
February 08, 2009
Deadline: February 18, 2009
Short description:
^ArtisticAunJuli's responses:




CYCLE TEN: Bending the perspective

This cycle of workshops focus on things you may have already approached in writing before, but perhaps sometimes we need to refresh what we think we know.



PROSE


=Negated's workshop: Creative Nonfiction CLOSED
November 30, 2008
Deadline: December 10, 2008
Short description: What exactly is creative nonfiction?
=Negated's responses: [link]

POETRY

=TheObviousChild's workshop: Another Person’s Perspective CLOSED
December 14, 2008
Deadline: December 24, 2008
Short description: what is voice, and why is having a unique voice so important?
=TheObviousChild's responses: [link]

FREE-FOR-ALL

`Beccalicious's workshop: New Beginnings
December 28, 2008
Deadline: January 7, 2009
Short description: New Year, new resolutions and new starts, but how do you begin a story or a poem?
`Beccalicious's responses:





PREVIOUS WORKSHOPS


For a complete list of all workshops hosted at *Writers-Workshop, check out our archive of previou... ]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/22269015/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/22269015/ Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:58:37 PST

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*TheObviousChild's response:

When I challenged all you dA workshoppers to step out of your own skin and into someone or something else's, the key things I was looking for were a strong voice and an original concept... but when I read the entries that came back, I was absolutely shocked. So many of the poems I saw went completely over and above all my expectations -- there was a real mix, some real quality stuff, but above all, heaps of fantastic ideas from a bunch of very confident writers!

Some of you played it safe and stuck rather close to your usual voices and styles, which I was a bit disappointed by -- the point of the exercise was to get you to write outside your comfort zone, but I do know how hard that can be. And even those of you who didn't or couldn't find a wildly alternate perspective still managed to challenge yourselves in other ways -- you all came up with poems that sparkled, and you did it to order... no mean feat. Basically, everyone who took part in the workshop should feel proud of their resulting poem, regardless of how well it fit the bill or how radically different you chose to be. I'd say the overall quality was top class, all round.

However, there were some people who really stuck their necks out and played around with the challenge the workshop gave them. I saw poems from the point of view of yearning, frustrated stuffed toys; one which could have been the sky or could have been the sea or could even have been God, and the not-knowing was the best part; even one from the point of view of a love-lorn toaster! There was also a caged bird and a high school killer... so plenty of variety! These alternate perspectives illustrated huge bravery on the part of their authors, but they were also pulled off with great confidence. These strange and unfamiliar voices were celebrated, exaggerated, and they carried me along with them -- I never failed to be convinced and taken in by them. I was really, really impressed.

I think my runaway favourite of the lot was The Slices of Your Bread by ~Elmara -- it was a strange and brave concept skilfully executed, it was sad and sweet and funny all at once. We discussed the form as well as the great content and ~Elmara was a very gracious receiver of my suggestions, making a few little changes which vastly improved an already very accomplished poem. A lot of the poems made an impression but this one really stuck in my head. Really strange, sweet, beautiful work.

Also highly commended are *RickDanger for Last Day of School, which dealt unflinchingly and somehow beautifully with a very tricky subject, and Feel Good Stunt by ~TheLightsWentOutIn99 ...a trippy, image-laden piece which really reminded me of the Beats, my favourite writers -- this poem does a lot in a very small space. Both are worth a read -- as, in fact, are all the poems submitted!

Thanks to *Writers-Workshop for the opportunity to unleash this exercise on the unassuming dA public. I absolutely loved working with the WW staff on the project, as well as seeing all dA's hidden writing talent come out of the woodwork to show off their skills. Thanks to everyone who was involved... if any of you want further feedback, don't hesitate to get in touch!

Keep up the good work, all! x Claire

Look out for our news article and journal with our next work... ]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/22005194/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/22005194/ Wed, 24 Dec 2008 12:41:23 PST

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24 December 2008

Hello there!

Before we list the submissions for this workshop, *Writers-Workshop would like to wish every single member a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New year! Enjoy your festive seasons!

Although the workshop close is still a few hours away, GMT midnight will clock onto Christmas Day and not everyone will be around. Therefore all submissions that have come in already are posted below and any additional ones will be added in due course.



On my Spot by ~CGholy
Camella’s Poem by ~Darke-Angelic-Sins
Where have my Stars Gone? by ~Earl-of-Grey
The Slices of Your Bread by ~Elmara
The Waiting Room by ~hermionegreen
Toy’s Lament by ~Kitz-the-Kitsune
With Youth by `leoraigarath
Why do these things happen? by ~phillGH
Last Day of School by *RickDanger
An Offering by ~spacecraft
Scream by ~ThanielFawkes
Feel Good Stunt by ~TheLightsWentOutIn99
Another Voice by ~TheRealPsychoPhil


15 December 2008

*TheObviousChild's Workshop: Another Person's Perspective


Claire Askew, aka *TheObviousChild is the Editor in Chief of Read This Magazine and also runs One Night Stanzas, a friendly advice blog for young writers. Her own work has appeared in Poetry Scotland, The Edinburgh Review and Poetry News, among others, and she was recently selected to appear in the Scottish Poetry Library's 20 Best Po... ]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/22004266/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/22004266/ Tue, 16 Dec 2008 22:57:21 PST

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A word from *Writers-Workshop

It was interesting to see so many varied pieces with this workshop, as well as the many different responses from the readers. Becca is currently away, and I am currently without a steady amount of internet, but I have read them, and will be leaving feedback as best I can later on. My apologies in the meanwhile. ~Trevor

Special mention goes to *GrimEden and ~mirageode, both who took the initiative and commented on almost all of the pieces themselves.

*Negated’s response:

This workshop was lots of fun to judge, as the entries took very diverse approaches to the prompt; some leaned more towards the creative, some focused more on the nonfiction, and each entrant had an interesting story to tell. I’d like to thank everyone for sharing parts of their personal lives with me, and apologize for my late response. Thank you for your patience!

In particular, I enjoyed ~oblivion00’s poetic article on sleep, which was less personal than others but nevertheless was an engaging read, as well as Chapter 42: Language by ~Halatia, which interspersed a rhetorical dissection of words with a subtle but nuanced character development. Overally, I picked the two entries that best represented the two ends of the spectrum that people went with this, and really utilized the benefits of the genre:

In [link] ~pro-nunc creates a beautiful, surreal memoir that blends reality and fantasy as smoothly as a dream – footsteps resounding in faucets, spinal disks as payment, sex in public places (and always against caulk). The language is gorgeous, creating a tumbling, fluid narrative that successfully transforms sheer nonfiction facts into a work of art.

Armistice by ~TerribleTreasure impressed me for its honesty. The story itself is a heartrending, but common one, and the writer does justice to the tragedy of a broken marriage from a child’s perspective. By the end of the read I found myself admiring the little girl for her courage and her strength, and admiring the writer for her eloquent comparison of personal dark times to an era of worldwide devastation.

Congratulations to the winners, and thanks again to everyone who entered and kindly waited for responses. A few of the critiques are still pending, but I’d like to get as in depth as possible with each entry so bear with me.

,
*Negated

Look out for our news article and journal with our next workshop, coming soon!

]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/21774283/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/21774283/ Thu, 11 Dec 2008 17:51:19 PST

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11 December 2008

This Workshop is now CLOSED. Please comment on some of the seven entries we received for this workshop.

To Open by ~EvenAfterTwelve
Chapter 42: Language by ~Halatia
Rubella by ~mirageode
Immersion by ~oblivion00
Blame it all on Hannah Montana by ~PKBradley
Workshop Prompt by ~pro-nunc
Armistice by ~TerribleTreasure

10 December 2008

There are less than hours until this workshop closes, so make sure you note us your entries as soon as possible.

1 December 2008

*Negated's Workshop: Creative Nonfiction


*Negated is a literary ice cream cone who attends Hunter College High School in New York City. She enjoys concocting poems, paintings, and copious amounts of bubble tea in her free time. You can find her writing published in Soundzine, Neon, Pomegranate Poetry and The Kenyon Review. As the Art Editor of Mimesis, she also has illustrations scattered through the issues, and would be delighted if you would order some. (the poetry there is also pretty snazzy). Occasionally you can find her rambling over at [link]

Creative Nonfiction: Stories about [your] Self

To some degree, all writing is autobiographical – some writers use their personal lives as a springboard into literature, employing details of their surroundings and circumstances to give a realistic tint to their fantasy; others use words as a medium through which self-exploration and understanding can expand and encapsulate.

Creative nonfiction is a smaller subset under writing in general, but perhaps the one that most embodies these two possibilities. What exactly is creative nonfiction? Technically, it can include anything from memoir to personal essay to travel writing, as long as the facts are true to life. As a relatively new genre, however, it is defined by its lack of definition, liberating because of its few conventions – the overarching goal is to make art out of life, and the way you do it is completely up to you. Just remember that as important as the “nonfiction” part is, there’s still that “creative” hanging out in front—creative nonfiction is equally about the delivery as it is about the content. Play around with the narrative form, experiment with language, and think about yourself a writer would a character. You might just discover something you’ve never known before.

Resources:

[link]
http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/21773954/ Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:51:08 PST

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A word from *Writers-Workshop

We were short on entries this time around, which is disappointing, but it is that time of the year where it does get rather busy. Special mention goes to *GrimEden, who took time out to give critique on both of the other entries. We (as a collective unit here, Becca and myself included) need to get back into the swing of commenting on the entries. Lets try for more feedback with the next workshop.

`poprocksandcharlotte’s response:

Well, it’s over and look what we have...

Athough the workshop lacked in patrons, ~EvenAfterTwelve, *GrimEden and *xCamix threw themselves into the twisted world of crime writing, producing some interesting poetry and a single prose piece.

~EvenAfterTwelve made an admirable attempt at Gangster Crime, using a passive and unlikely protagonist to act as a conduit to the tale. Both *GrimEden and *xCamix made comments on the piece, with the former knocking out a decent critique which was quite delicious to see. I shall be adding to that critique element when I get the time, hopefully this week.

*GrimEden produced a poem that holds the mantle of best submission. The primary voice is detectiveless, allowing the audience to communicate with what is being said, instead of guessing at what is trying to be said. While not perfect, I found this poem the most enjoyable

*xCamix made a reasonable attempt at the hard boiled sub genre, incorporating formulaic aspects of crime into her poetry piece. This has a lot of potential and with some creative editing, I think it could be a legitimate hard boiled piece. I also add extra points for her honesty within her answers to the questions I set out, as with all the participants, identifying parts she didn’t like and elements that fit in with the crime criteria.

There are some enjoyable elements to both the poetry and the prose, although there is always room for improvement, which I hope to provide inspiration for, in the way of critique.

I thank everyone who participated in this workshop and the people behind WW, for asking me to do a free for all. I hope everybody has learnt something, whether they submitted a piece or not and I look forward to seeing more crime writing on dA.

Jes

Congratulations everyone and thank you for your hard work! Look out for our news article and journal with our next workshop and we’re onto prose with *Negated - Creative Nonfiction!

]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/21547009/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/21547009/ Fri, 28 Nov 2008 01:49:01 PST

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Update 28/11/08

This workshop is now CLOSED

With NaNoWriMo in its final week and a large amount of our members celebrating thanksgiving, we haven’t perhaps received as many entries as we usually would. However three members came to salvage this workshop, and in fact we now have three wonderful entries that could do with some reading and possibly critique.

Blood by ~EvenAfterTwelve
Winter Descends Upon by *GrimEden
Investiagtion Case N 1 NYC by *xCamix




Update 25/11/08

We have yet to recieve any entires to this workshop. Please if you are writing let us know so we're not worrying too much! This is just a poke to refresh you.




`poprocksandcharlotte’s Workshop: : ‘It’s elementary, my dear Watson; Crime writing and formulaic principles’



`poprocksandcharlotte started writing when she was eight, encouraged by her second form teacher to embrace the words and challenge her reserved nature. Language and expression faced the back burner, making appearances in the sixth and eighth form, due to her perusal of the traditional arts (she was accepted into an advanced art program at twelve).
An avid reader and occasional prose writer/poet, she sped through educational course work and finished her HSC English with a band 6 grade (Top 5% percentile) and several tongue in cheek references from year advisors.

~Maikaduriel introduced Jes to the world of deviantArt and so, ~Eroala was born; to this day, she is still undecided on how to pronounce her first incarnation. Her first station was PoetryPlease (~Poem-of-the-week)as a general poetry critic, ~Eroala gained momentum as a decent critic and a PoliticsForum regular; later on, she became affiliated with ~LitFFS.

`poprocksandcharlotte was originally an alternate prose account and transformed into a fulltime handle only after some encouragement. Jes was one of the main patrons of *damnLit until its closure by a third party and is now the proud co-owner of ~Trashrock.

Jes works as a customer service representative and part time academic tutor. Sh... ]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/21521709/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/21521709/ Sun, 16 Nov 2008 16:04:19 PST

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A word from *Writers-Workshop

Firstly a HUGE thank you to ~LaMonaca for hosting what has been a rather encouraging and thought provoking workshop. In fact, as you will see below, ~LaMonaca has written two extensive discussion guides based on the results of this workshop. They’re an excellent read for anyone who writes poetry, no matter where your strengths lie.

The was a wonderful slice of critique again, in particular *GrimEden deserves a mention having commented and critiqued on a large percentage of the entries with some quite in depth critiques. We would also like to thank everyone who did take the time to critique- we do try to encourage those who submitted to look at everyone else’s work too because that is kind of the concept of a ‘workshop’.


~LaMonaca’s responses


I commented directly on a few of the pieces, and I wrote up this two-part guide based off the submissions:

Punctuating Poetry Part One

and

Punctuating Poetry Part Two

Insofar as the "official" results are concerned:

I couldn't have asked for a better, more diverse pool of submissions to choose from when creating a general commentary on punctuating poetry. There aren't any official rules for punctuation and poetry, and there aren't even any set guidelines, so I've found the most success by erring on the side of practicality - and that's the way I teach.

That said, there were several spectacular submissions, and I'd like to congratulate ~Imperial-Obsession for really taking some risks with punctuation, =KrystalIce for keeping it interesting and reminding us that punctuation can be fun, ~CyberPhantom for a little bit of grammar humor (Go Gangsta'!), and =Drunken-Splice for digging deep and experimenting with formatting options that really challenged how certain lines could hold or lose their punctuation.

However, I felt I hate chicken wings, by ~ilutiern, was the strongest entry in regards to practical punctuation. That doesn't mean there weren't other strong entries - because there were - but I found the least to say and the most to praise when reviewing ~ilutiern's choices.

Thank you to everyone who participated. It was a wonderful experience, and I hope the writers (and the watchers) got as much out of the workshop as I did.



Nic

Congratulations everyone and thank you for your hard work! Look out for our news article and journal with our next workshop and we’re onto free for all with `poprocksandcharlotte - ‘It’s elementary, my dear Watson; Crime writing and formulaic principles’

]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/21279394/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/21279394/ Thu, 13 Nov 2008 02:54:57 PST

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13 November 2008

This workshop is now CLOSED. We have an almighty 20 entries, so please could you take some time to look at the entries for this workshop and share your feedback and critique. ~LaMonaca is looking at the entries also, and will be responding on Sunday.

Love by ~8ankH
Punctuating with Purpose by ~brytning
The Grammar Gangsters by ~CyberPhantom
The sunset line by ~dimerization
Bathroom Sound Waves by =Drunken-Splice
Lines by `GaioumonBatou
Late Afternoons in Poland by *GrimEden
I hate chicken Wings by ~ilutiern
No one knows by ~Imperial-Obsession
Parabola by ~infrangiblegreen
Waking Up by =inspiredimperfection
Leave the door open by =KrystalIce
http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/21278995/ Sun, 02 Nov 2008 08:14:32 PST

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November 2nd, 2008

A word from *Writers-Workshop:

With both of our staff members concentrating on the nasty old NaNoWriMo, we’re expecting a lot of our members are too. However despite this, we are pleased to see again some very strong entries, some of the strongest for what was a positively difficult workshop task and a great grasp of the existentialist style. Well done to everyone who pariciapted.

There wasn’t one person who stood out for critique this time, however we want to say a huge thank you to those who spend the time to look at people’s submissions to each workshop. We’re always grateful for your consistent enthusiasm and often very helpful and constructive critiques.







`GaioumonBatou's Comments


I was blown away by how different each of the seven entries were from one another. I am glad to see so much variance between each of the entries, especially considering that they were all based on the same general plot idea. I think that to a large degree, everyone got the concepts of existentialism very well, and I enjoyed seeing what made the characters continue, and what made them tick and do something drastic.

I wasn't planning on having any top picks, as I genuinely enjoyed all seven entries. However, I think that there were two pieces that really captured the ideas behind existentialism, that being Jimi Plays the Blues... by *buildingsforbrains and PING by ~CyberPhantom. ~CyberPhantom's piece had lines such as "Stripped of his keys, he was nothing" that really help to bring about the character's realization that he has no purpose in the world around him, thus leading to his end, whereas *buildingsforbrains took great use of the colors of the areas around the character to help do so. Colors (more commonly, shades of gray) are incredibly common within the realm of existentialism, as it represents the unknown, the lack of anything specific within it. *buildingsforbrains has done an excellent job with this, taking the characters around Jimi and making them colorful, but showing Jimi's thoughts and perception of things as gray.

I want to thank you guys for taking part in the workshop. I was a bit worried that there wouldn't be very many entries, considering the subject matter. However, I had a wonderful time hosting, and an even more wonderful time reading. I hope you guys enjoyed writing as well.



Congratulations everyone and thank you for your hard work! Look out for our news article and journal with our next workshop, ‘ Punctuation with purpose’ by ~LaMonaca!




]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/21063841/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/21063841/ Thu, 30 Oct 2008 02:14:09 PDT

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October 30, 2008

This Workshop is now CLOSED. Thank you to everyone who submitted/ Please find below the seven entries for this workshop in which we would appreciate critique and thoughts. Meanwhile `GaioumonBatou will also be reading!

Business as Usual by ~wyldhoney
Day in, the Rest is by =leoraigarath
The Factory by ~Kitz-the-Kitsune
The man in the shop by ~fense
Click by ~EvenAfterTwelve
PING by ~CyberPhantom
Jimi plays the Blues by *buildingsforbrains

Results will be on Sunday, along with a very good workshop from the lovely ~LaMonaca



October 29, 2008

There are roughly 15 hours until this workshop closes, so make sure you note us your entries as soonas possible.

A huge and special thank you to ^LadyLincoln and =leoraigarath for their wonderful sub donations! The workshop is subbed up for another 6 months.

We'll be fixing the CSS, Memberlist and another minor issues this weekend. Have no fear, the workshop is still here!




October 26, 2008

Plenty of time left, but we'd like to see some entries roll in for this workshop!

Our subscription has ran out http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/21056966/ Sun, 19 Oct 2008 03:11:23 PDT

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October 19, 2008

A word from *Writers-Workshop:

It was impressive to see all of the insightful and welcoming comments being left on the entries, and I think that this is honestly due in part to the host herself. There was some very creative and thoughtful interaction going on between the host and the workshoppers.

As an oversight on my part (`GaioumonBatou here), there was an entry not added to the list, that being Thunder Moon by ~starrsilver. If you could take some time to read and give feedback on her work, I am sure she would be quite grateful for it.







*BerylAlexandros's Comments


First of all, I want to say what a pleasure it's been to host this workshop. The number of submissions (14) was respectable without being overwhelming, but more importantly, I enjoyed reading each and every one of them.

I hope that this has been an educational experience for everyone, as it has been for me. What I learned was how very different people are, in the very best way. I never expected that anyone would write exactly what I would have written from a prompt, but I had certain expectations of the sort of things that I would see the prompts manipulated into... and generally I was wrong. It reminded me, much as I have been reminded when I've participated in similar things, that two people never see quite the same thing.

The most popular prompt, used in six out of the fourteen submissions, was "Write something about two people who never meet." Actually, I think that *RickDanger's submission Candle could qualify under that prompt too, although that wasn't actually the chosen prompt.

Nearly everyone who used the "two people who never meet" prompt chose not to take it too literally, which is course the best way not to take it. I think that everyone who participated understood the workshop well and made an honest effort of it; as a general rule I was quite satisfied with the extent to which they manipulated the prompt without ignoring it all together. I often would have liked more rambling detail in the author's comments, but everyone shared enough that I understood the important things. A lot of people chose to use some inspiration from their personal life, which is a tactic that I support; as I said in a comment to =UnfeelingAlloy, writers should know how to use all of the resources at their disposal.

I chose the following top picks because 1) I feel that they represent a good selection of what was submitted, 2) I feel that in writing style they are among the highest-quality submissions, 3) I feel that the authors made good use of the prompts, and 4) I feel that the author's comments were very well-done. Naturally, they are also among my personal favorites. I have added all of the submissions to a collection, and I encourage you to go read them and find out which are your personal favorites.

A Note With No Name by =TenshiKoneko, written for the "two people who never meet" prompt. It demonstrates the impact that we can have on other people, sometimes without... ]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/20848756/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/20848756/ Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:12:05 PDT

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15 October 2008

This workshop is now CLOSED. *BerylAlexandros is reading the entries and will comment on them on October 19. In the meanwhile, please comment on the entries:

Prose

the Library Ghost by ~cupcake-of-chaos
Overdue by ~Erin88
Writer is always right by ~ilutiern
Red Umbrella by ~Imperial-Obsession
Descending by *Konjuku
Kora: Farewell by ~mariabumby
Kiva's November by ~mintleaves
A letter from our Great Leader by ~ria88
Candle by *RickDanger
Thunder Moon by ~starrsilver
A Note With No Name by =TenshiKoneko


Poetry

When things are new, there... by ~dimerization
Multiple Exit Wounds by =leoraigarath
Never The Twain by =UnfeelingAlloy


14 October 2008

Just a reminder, there is less than 24 hours until the workshop closes. Please get your entries in as soon as possible, thank you!

5 October 2008

*BerylAlexandros's Workshop: The Writer is Always Right


*BerylAlexandros has... ]]> #Writers-Workshop http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/20848389/ http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/20848389/ Sun, 05 Oct 2008 19:13:18 PDT

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October 5, 2008

A word from *Writers-Workshop:

It was excellent to see so many people giving feedback to the workshop entries. There were many deviants who made rounds on almost all of the pieces. Keep up the feedback, guys, it is wonderful to see everyone getting involved!







`jade-pandora's Comments


It’s a pleasure for me to announce that the Senryu Workshop was a wonderful success! My gratitude and thanks to all who participated or supported the workshop in their capacity. My thanks also to *Writers-Workshop for allowing me to collab with them when it comes to this intriguing and lesser-known/appreciated style of poetry.

I was happily amazed at a fantastic quality of creativity in the subject matter used. Many of you included personal issues and/or societal observations. I was proud to see fluidity in the senryu form and elements of mushin, and was happy to see people taking in what my journals offered, internalizing & incorporating what they learned into their work.

Senryu, like any form of poetry, takes a lifetime of learning. A workshop offers the basics, an introduction into the style. That being said, one thing I would like to see worked on more is to remember that senryu is a bawdy style. It’s in your face, it’s humorous, it’s tragic. Even though there were pieces that incorporated human nature, they were still more gentle, more haiku in nature. I would like to see more people incorporate the principles of mushin which does not try to stress beauty. Also, there needs to be an understanding of basic haiku structure. Senryu is a little more loose than haiku, but is not as flowing as tanka. The principles of brevity still need to be observed in the form. This includes omitting capitalization unless the word is a proper noun. As you seek to find your own voice in these eastern styles, always strive to stay with and follow the principles.

These are things to work on as you grow in the style. I congratulate all who honored me as host over their entries! I enjoyed the spirit in which so many entered. Having fun is key to it all!

I take this opportunity to highlight a few entries that represented the concept of senryu. What I found about many of the pieces in this selection was the use of irony, image juxtaposition, and excellent use of brevity to portray human folly or actions. The images in each work are clear and, in some cases, thought-provoking:

Summer Senryu by ~Elmara
senryu by ~fense
Senryu Soup by ~mintleaves
Senryu by ~ria88

Again, excellent job, everybody! Thank you for participating in what I hope has been a great experience for all of you!




Congratulations everyone and thank you for your hard work! Look out for our news article and journal with a workshop on writing purpose!






Journal CSS by *http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/20604540/ Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:31:08 PDT

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1 October 2008

This workshop is now CLOSED. `jade-pandora is reading the entries and will comment on them on October 5. In the meanwhile, please take some time and offer critique to one of the 16 pieces submitted to the workshop:

Autumn Senryu 2 by ~8ankH
Series of Senryu by ~Art-of-Hilt
Senryu Series I by ~AstarteKatz
Senryu by *batousaijin
Summer Senryu by ~Elmara
senryu by ~fense
Senryu by `GaioumonBatou
Senryu Workshop for Jade by *HaikuKitty
Senryu by =Keraness
Senryu by ~Kitz-the-Kitsune
Workshop Senryu by `Laurence55
Senryu Soup by ~mintleaves
Workshop senryu set by ~RedDragonfly
Senryu Workshop by `RetroZombie
Senryu by ~ria88
Algae Eater by ~TDKB


30 September 2008

Just a reminder, there is less than 24 hours until the sneryu workshop closes. Please get your entries in as soon as possible, thank you!

26 September 2008

Our workshop host has posted a helpful set of information on senryu in her journal for reference. It can be found http://Writers-Workshop.deviantart.com/journal/20604318/ Tue, 30 Sep 2008 01:06:51 PDT

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September 21st, 2008

A word from *Writers-Workshop:

This is quite possibly the most active prose workshop we have ever had, considering both the amount of entries and the amount of response each entry received. Well done, everyone!

Special Mention: ~wonderfulrachel for the critique left on ~ruffienne's piece, found here.







*SRSmith's Comments


Ok, first my apologies for not being able to respond to this faster. I've already mentioned our server issues, and also my being self employed means that my time sometimes is highly available, and other times (usually when I've committed to something that involves a deadline), my work load skyrockets and my free time is spent mostly trying to catch a few hours sleep in order to do more work the next morning.

That said, I did find that the quality of the entries deserved a considerable amount of attention, and it's entirely possible that I've spent as much time critiquing the entries as people have writing them. It was a pleasure to provide what I hope amounts to useful ideas and observations about each of the writers works, and that they can use my thoughts to improve upon what are already very good stories.

For the most part, everyone seemed to grasp the fundamental concept of Flash Fiction, and all but one of the stories fell well within the allowed word limit. I've received responses to about half of the critiques I provided, and all seem to have been able to extract something useful from my comments, which is a good thing. It's too easy to want everyone to tell you how well you've done, but it's only when someone points out where you could do better that you really get the opportunity to improve, so hopefully everyone participated with that in mind.

Of the entries, Chaos Theory and Synchro City were my favourites. Both I think would be good candidates for publication on 365tomorrows after they're edited, and I'd be happy to help shepherd those stories in that direction if the writers are interested. 2 a.m. and It Makes Three both manage to pack a very emotional amount of content in an impossibly short space, and I think are fantastic examples of what can be accomplished in Flash Fiction.

Overall I'm very pleased with the submissions, and hope that people take the time to think about both my critique, and the comments of the other writers and edit their stories, as I think each and every one of them is worth making the effort.

Great work, everyone, both in writing and in making an effort to provide feedback on each others stories. It's that kind of support that really can help a writer, both by encouraging and providing ideas and guidance to each other, and also just in letting people know that you think what they do is worth spending the time reading and commenting on. Knowing someone's on the receiving end sometimes is enough of a motivator when you can't see the point of writing another word. Keep at it, all of you.

Cheers,
:Steve

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