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 space opera. How many people have seen a dragon, kissed a Civil War colonel, or felt the tug of a spaceship in hyperdrive? A good description will make the reader feel that they have. They will believe in, care about and want to continue with your story because of whether or not you effectively convey the experience to them.

Description does not serve only one purpose. While it is primarily used to create a visual for the reader, it is also the easiest way to make the story plausible. The phrase "seeing is believing" really does apply here, because it is the detail that allows the reader to relate to what they are reading. So even if they haven't ridden on a dragon's back they will know the feeling of scales and a strong wind in their hair. Even if they haven't fallen in love with an Edwardian librarian, they do know what it's like to be in love, and just because they've never left the planet's atmosphere they will know the sparkle of stars in a vastly empty sky.

Your Assignment...

... is to be convincing. Pick a scenario that your reader could not possibly have experienced, and make them believe that it is unfolding before them. All prose fiction is fair game here, Don't just write a panoramic description, but create characters and a setting and a sliver of plot. Reveal just as much as you must to make your reader believe, if not that they are living the situation themselves, then at least that you have lived it yourself. Consider how much you can tell without it being too much. Make your reader see and they will believe you.

How to Submit

After submitting your entry as a new deviation or scrap, send us a note with a link to your piece. Include the subject line "SEEING" in your note. The deadline is midnight 4 March 2009. All times are set for GMT. *Queen-of-Marigold will respond to the entries on 8 March.

A note from *Writers-Workshop: Please note that this is a PROSE workshop, meaning that we will accept ONLY prose entries. Proofread your work before you send it in so that grammatical and spelling errors are minimal. And most of all have fun with it!

On Accepting Critique

Always thank the critic. This gratitude must be as sincere as possible, even if you did not like the critique given, because the critic has taken time to offer his/her opinion of the piece.
If you do not like the critique, it is not necessary to mention so. Simply thank the critic and move on. You can always ignore their suggestions, while not making a scene of it.
If you are unsure of what the critique means, feel free to 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. Critic's have feelings too.
In the unlikely case that a critic offers rude/sexist/racist/etc comments, feel free to contact *Writers-Workshop in a note and we will try to help you. A decision regarding the rudeness of the critique will be taken, and if we're not sure ourselves, we will consult with one of the GDs or anyone else high up on deviantART.

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