Here, we are putting together a list of workshopping questions. I will review and compile.
I’ll offer a few to get us started:
Think in terms of short fiction, even long. Memoir. Nonfiction. Poetry. Picturebooks. If a question seems only to pertain to a particular form, note that.
Looking forward to seeing what you come up with, AND putting this together…
I'm slaving over a tribute memoir right now and the form is so complex. It is hard to know when I'm going over the line. I'm enjoying being ignorant of what's correct in co-creating a picture book. Alison your words of wisdom let me know that self-publishing was the only way to make it happen.
I don't know whether it's something that you do, but I wonder about participants recording their expectations before workshopping, so that they have a reminder of where they were hoping to get to. (This may shift as they get feedback. Or if they're like me, they may have just plunged into writing without thinking about it much!) Along the lines of: 'What are your hopes for your readers?' or in case that's too vague:
'What do you think your readers will hope for from this work?'
'What do you hope your readers will notice while reading this work?'
'How do you envisage them reacting as they read this work / chapter / passage?'
'What do you hope they will take away from this read?'
- is there a good tension/pace in the story? Does it rise and fall appropriately, drop off, do anything unexpected? Where does it catch you in the throat?
- the show versus tell - is that effective?
- is there effective editing for descriptions? I’m remembering a friend’s line about an evil character with a ‘mop’ of hair. I thought it didn’t fit. ‘Mop’ was too soft. It should’ve been dark, jagged bangs sliced across his forehead - or something like that 😂
I think of things like: What did you feel when reading it? Where was it unclear or confusing? Did you want to read more? What did you think was the subject?
In one of the writing groups I participated in we could ask for specific feedback on each small thing we posted - we did it right at the top. Or we could just leave it open.
- Where do you feel this story in your body? (Does it make you laugh, squirm, hold your breath? What physical reaction does the story provoke and is that the one you want?)
- What are the most important moments and are you giving them their due? (Does a climactic moment have the most stirring image or the best description or the most engaging pacing--or are these moments of "strong writing" occurring in less crucial plot moments?)
Title (can be just a “working title”) - how is it functioning? Does it pique curiosity?
How significant is the setting - do we know where we are? do we need to? could it be set somewhere else?
I'm slaving over a tribute memoir right now and the form is so complex. It is hard to know when I'm going over the line. I'm enjoying being ignorant of what's correct in co-creating a picture book. Alison your words of wisdom let me know that self-publishing was the only way to make it happen.
I don't know whether it's something that you do, but I wonder about participants recording their expectations before workshopping, so that they have a reminder of where they were hoping to get to. (This may shift as they get feedback. Or if they're like me, they may have just plunged into writing without thinking about it much!) Along the lines of: 'What are your hopes for your readers?' or in case that's too vague:
'What do you think your readers will hope for from this work?'
'What do you hope your readers will notice while reading this work?'
'How do you envisage them reacting as they read this work / chapter / passage?'
'What do you hope they will take away from this read?'
Could there be questions like:
- is there a good tension/pace in the story? Does it rise and fall appropriately, drop off, do anything unexpected? Where does it catch you in the throat?
- the show versus tell - is that effective?
- is there effective editing for descriptions? I’m remembering a friend’s line about an evil character with a ‘mop’ of hair. I thought it didn’t fit. ‘Mop’ was too soft. It should’ve been dark, jagged bangs sliced across his forehead - or something like that 😂
I think of things like: What did you feel when reading it? Where was it unclear or confusing? Did you want to read more? What did you think was the subject?
In one of the writing groups I participated in we could ask for specific feedback on each small thing we posted - we did it right at the top. Or we could just leave it open.
- Where do you feel this story in your body? (Does it make you laugh, squirm, hold your breath? What physical reaction does the story provoke and is that the one you want?)
- What are the most important moments and are you giving them their due? (Does a climactic moment have the most stirring image or the best description or the most engaging pacing--or are these moments of "strong writing" occurring in less crucial plot moments?)