Today I need your help. Maybe more like your opinions, fellow providers of fiction adventures *. I've been having this debate with myself. I have discussed it in private with a few other writers I trust already, but I'm still undecided. Earlier this week, I signed up for LitReactor's workshops with a very precise goal in mind: reading their exclusive writing essays by the likes of Craig Clevenger, Chuck Palahniuk and Richard Thomas. Just the two Clevenger essays I've read since there were worth it, but here's the thing. Now that a potential workshop is a few clicks away, should I do it or not?
The easy answer is duh! Of course. Why not make the most out of a resource you're entitled to use anyway? See, I'm not so sure about that. I have doubts about the benefits I could reap from a workshop. Not that it's a bad thing altogether, but hear me. Things have been going really well. After I miserably failed at writing a novel, I went back to the drawing board and worked my way up from short stories. It was a great move as I re-taught myself how to write. Lack of perspective on one's own work is what kills most internet writers dreams and being in contact with the crime writing community, I have not only gained that said perspective, but I have learned a lot about how to write stories too. Of course, I faced rejection like everybody but I developed an inner-sensor now that tells me whenever my stories are good enough or not to send out. Since then, I have been able to find a home to whatever I write. That's a great confidence boost. I can now sit behind the computer, hammer down words and trust my judgment. I've been writing a novella for the past few weeks and it's been going very well.
I've asked two people already about their workshop experiences and if whether or not I should submit material to one of those. I've had two very different opinions. On one side, I've been warned about the disgruntled, frustrated writers who are prowling for dreams to crush in workshops. That it can get really unproductive and confusing at times. On the other hand, another writer told me how she met one of the best beta-readers in there and I'm telling myself, isn't all the negativity and the fuss all good if you find one good person you can trust? It's a seducing though. But I have good beta-readers I trust already. People who are giving me constructive criticism. Now that I have a little bit of confidence and things are rolling forward, would I benefit from workshopping my material? Would I benefit from unsolicited criticism? Is there something I don't see in this? At the point I'm at, is it going to help me go further or waste my time.
See, the more I evolve in writing (because I do feel I've been evolving in the craft this year), the more I find that success come from within. You have to put yourself and your stories in tune with the publishing industry. Nobody is this unsung genius that will be discovered in a social event (or ALMOST nobody). It's up to you to work hard until your fiction is up to par with publishing standards. That's why I like doing my own readings on creative writing. So Internet. You omniscient source of wisdom. Is there something I don't see in workshops. I've never been in one. It looks like a bad idea for me, but I'm opened to it now that it's a possibility for me.
* I hate saying "writers" like I was part of a highly selective club. Writers of the Internet is probably the least selective club in the history of everything.
What you're asking is impossible to answer. What kind of experience you'll get and how it will affect you is going to depend on you.
ReplyDeleteCould you have a bad experience that knocks your confidence? Yes.
Might it open your eyes to new possibilities? Yes.
But you can't second guess it.
The key thing I would say to you though is since you've never experienced this sort of thing before, it's worth doing for that reason alone. Every new experience has some value, I think. Even if that value is the knowledge never to do it again.
Mood
Good point, Sensei Moody
ReplyDeleteThinking about what you said, I guess what I'm looking for is experiences and opinions. Testimonies.
ReplyDeleteIn my experience, in the early drafts, you want a writer of some stripe to be a beta-reader. But once you've got things down pretty well, what you want is a reader who is not also a writer, to be a beta-reader.
ReplyDeleteThese people can be hard to find.
I agree with Moody. But I'm going to add my own experience from attending a workshop. I met this guy named J.C. who was a complete know-it-all and always tore my stories to pieces basically saying that they were shit. It took a long time for me to disregard him and to find my own voice (probably ten years) and since then, I've never gone back to a workshop. So...hmmm...my advice is probably to avoid the workshop if you feel your writing is where you want it to be. Those places tend to be spawning pools for piranhas with bad advice on publishing.
ReplyDeleteI guess you're having the last laugh now, Mike :)
ReplyDeleteYou will sometimes get the kind of douche Michael encountered, and on the flip side sometimes someone who gets what you're going for and advises accordingly. Peer review workshops are dependant on the quality of the membership, and it varies. It varies from day to day. And how well equipped you feel to handle it also varies.
ReplyDeletePersonally I consider them a good place to get a variety of responses to my writing, but it can still be a brutal process sometimes.
You might be better off signing up for one of their masterclasses, led by people like Craig Clevenger himself. I'm not sure if they are running any of these (they used to when they were running the workshop at The Cult (the Chuck Palahniuk fan site)). A bit more pricey though.
Generally though I think the people behind litreactor are good people and fairly serious-minded and the membership fee keeps trolls away. I don't think you'll find too many a-holes, but whether you find useful, actionable advice will very much be a matter of who turns up on the day.
mood
You're making a lot of sense, Mood. I would love to try one of their masterclasses, but as you might imagine, money it keeping me from doing it. I might dip into the workshop with material I don't value too much yet (not the novella), just to try the waters. I tend to trust LitReactor too as they are very professional.
ReplyDelete