Open Thread: Oracle Hotline
One of my current favorite books on writing it by Pat Schneider, Writing Alone and With Others. I thought I'd be focusing mostly on the writing alone part, but her discussions of workshops have actually been very interesting in light of the fact that, in a way, what we do on LJ is an amateur (and very non-rigorous) writing workshop.
One workshop practice she has is that no one should criticise the first draft of a manuscript. Ideas are too fragile the first time they're presented to the world and criticism at that time is terribly withering, she notes.
Every work has something beautiful in it, if you look at it through the lens of this human being's wanting so badly to write that he would come to the workshop space, give the time and effort, and, trying and longing, would risk the exposure. If I could not find, as well, as the dross in every manuscript, the gold of a writer's artistry--if I could not identify strengths in every manuscript with honesty and integrity--I would find another line of work.
I go back and forth a lot on "constructive criticism" and its place in LJ and community-based writing, but I like her philosophy quite a bit. :) Discuss if you like, or ask/discuss whatever happens to be on your mind this week!
One workshop practice she has is that no one should criticise the first draft of a manuscript. Ideas are too fragile the first time they're presented to the world and criticism at that time is terribly withering, she notes.
Every work has something beautiful in it, if you look at it through the lens of this human being's wanting so badly to write that he would come to the workshop space, give the time and effort, and, trying and longing, would risk the exposure. If I could not find, as well, as the dross in every manuscript, the gold of a writer's artistry--if I could not identify strengths in every manuscript with honesty and integrity--I would find another line of work.
I go back and forth a lot on "constructive criticism" and its place in LJ and community-based writing, but I like her philosophy quite a bit. :) Discuss if you like, or ask/discuss whatever happens to be on your mind this week!