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TWO DAYS LEFT TO CRITIQUE!

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The More Metaphor, Please! Workshop closes for submissions, with a final count of 64 participant entries. You've probably seen these entries popping up in your devWatch folder, and now...it's time to do something about it.

Critique Week:

The workshop is far from over, guys. Last week, we wrote and read and commented and wrote some more. This week is all about workshopping! All members are strongly encouraged to participate, even if you don't have something in our gallery for this workshop. The idea is to spend the next seven days reading and critiquing.

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The deviations submitted!

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The Way This Works:

Members enter their deviations into the #Writers-Workshop with the goal of developing and exploring their writing skills. How will they be able to do that? With feedback.

The challenge:

1. To return the favor to all the wonderful workshoppers who stopped by your entry and left their thoughts.
2. To leave two or three comments (or more) for every one you receive. On your honor!
3. To thank commentators and critics for their time and sincere enthusiasm.
4. To go that extra mile and comment on entries that challenge you, and on the entries that do not have all that many comments yet.

You guys create the workshop experience! Make it a good one.

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"Well, what if I don't feel like I can give a good critique? What if I can't think of anything to say? I can't critique -- it's art! The writer will hate me!"

Firstly, anyone can give great feedback. All it takes is reading carefully and being thoughtful. If you're confused somewhere, say so! If something strikes you as strange (or wonderful), tell the writer! A "critique" is often a fancy and intimidating word for "opinion". Point out the things you liked, the things you didn't, and why and how you think they could be changed.

And no, the writer won't hate you. Far from it! Every writer who entered the workshop entered knowing there would be critique and revision involved.

Here are a few resources that can be a great help if you're still nervous:

How to Revise or Critique by ^SparrowSong
CRITIQUE by `tangledweb
A Guide to Good Critique (Literature) by `lovetodeviate

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So what are you waiting for?

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.

Meanwhile, for the next week, I and the wonderful #Writers-Workshop staff and contributors will also be reading through the pieces and offering up our own thoughts and feedback.

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Miscellaneous Notes:

I realize that I may not have made something clear at the beginning of the workshop and this may have led to some hurt feelings or misunderstandings. A decline is not a judgment call on the quality of the submission. Nor should it be seen as anything but a normal part of the workshop and the submission process. I've declined quite a few deviations that were amazing pieces of writing, but just did not quite fit the parameters of the workshop.

If you're didn't get a chance to submit before the deadline but would still like to use this workshop as a prompt, feel free to leave a link in a comment on the journal entry. It won't be part of the workshop proper, but it's still a nice way to share what you've written. These are only to share. Feedback priority goes to the entries in the workshop gallery.

If you revise your piece during the workshop, please include the original (first draft) version in the same deviation (I.e. use your artists comments section or the bottom of the deviation.) This will make it easier for you to see progress and for the critics to help you out and not repeat themselves.

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On Accepting Critique

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.

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Onward to Critique Week! Let's stretch our fingers and get to typing. And most importantly, let's have fun doing it.

Thank you!
=nycterent

Hello there

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!