Project: Writer Forum Working Group?

When's the next working group being decided?

better yet, how do we get it going?

The next working group won't be for a week or so, once this working group is complete. I will send out an email asking people to put their names forward for it, so make sure you do. I might just make a forum for it to make it easier.

I'll keep you posted

Rusty

Bring on the next round of working groups.

That was cool. Being in the working group exposes you to new writers and genres which you normally wouldn't get the chance to meet and read.

Looking forward to the next round of working groups. Let me know when you plan on making up the new groups and when we'll start.

thanks

I agree. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting some new people and seeing the different styles people use to write in. I also enjoyed being able to help others out who wouldn't bite my head off for telling them they spelled something wrong. I think the working groups are a great thing. Sign me up for the next one.

Since Rusty asked, I came up with a few ideas for the next working group. I thought I'd throw them out here so that interested parties could offer their opinions.

1) Each group decides on a theme for that group to write about. Could be as simple as death or love. Could be something more complicated like the current war.

2) Each group picks an object or some similar element to be a part of their story in some way. Could be a small detail or it could be the main thrust of the plot.

3) Everyone, every group, writes a story based off of the same synopsis. Something with a loose structure so that everyone can take it in whatever direction they'd like and that best reflects their skills.

I like these ideas, but they're all writing exercises. It doesn't seem like anyone would be here, participating in these working groups, if they couldn't come up with ideas themselves. So I have another suggestion:

Members of each group write a piece that is no longer than five pages. Their work is submitted and critiqued. Then they have a certain amount of time to do a rewrite. The rewrite is then resubmitted and recritiqued.

It doesn't look that interesting, but I think it would be really helpful to not only give and receive useful criticism, but also examine how we apply that criticism when rewriting a piece. I would enjoy those discussions and seeing how my own and others' pieces change.

Thoughts?

Since I'm not the type of writer who responds well to prompts I think I like that last idea the best. Up to a point. Does a rewrite have to be mandatory? If it does, must we incorporate every suggestion? That smacks of writing by proxy to me. Some people make suggestions just because they can, and others simply don't understand the work presented. Much of my writing is in the vernacular; many many people want to know WHY I can't write in a "real" or "normal" way.