Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Results of the sign-ups

Greetings, everyone.  I have good news!

There are sixteen people on the list.  And so, we can proceed.  First, here's what I need from you.

I need emails right away to bookavenger@hotmail.com from everyone who signed up for the workshop.  Right away means today preferably, but at the outside by Thursday October 14 (the day after tomorrow).   As I explained before, in this email I will need you to give me your nickname used in the workshop and as well your full real name and real snail-mail address.   Thanks a lot for your cooperation in this. 

I would like you all to understand that I've done this a million times before and one of the problems always is that people think they don't have to read anyone else's work; they're only in the course for my comments on their work.  Now I know this doesn't mean you, of course not you.  But there are always more than a few people who are only here for me to comment on their own work.  The reason I asked for a minimum of 15 to be in this course is so that a minimum of 15 people will really learn something from my comments on each of the 15 posts.  That's 225 people-post benefits, and it makes my own considerable work worthwhile.

And so, though you will not make public comments on what you read, I will need each of you to respond to me by email at bookavenger@hotmail.com by the Friday before the Monday that will be the date of my response to the person's writing.  Please answer the following questions:
  1. what you like the most about the story/poem/other that is posted on my site, and why.
  2. what you think needs the most work in the posted piece, and why.   
Thank you very much.  Obviously, if you don't do this you won't be invited for cake.  *grin*

Now, here's the first person I'd like to ask to prepare something for posting.  If you really can't do it, tell me now, and I'll try to find someone else.  But the time is short for this month, if we're going to get things done on a first and third Monday schedule starting in November, and so I'm asking the busiest person I know.  (There's a rule that if you need something done, ask a busy person to do it.)

Jessica Subject, I would like you to be the first person with a piece for people to read and think about, and for me to comment on.  What you need to do is email me, at bookavenger@hotmail.com ,
with an attachment in Word (preferably) of the standalone piece you want me to comment on.  In order to keep to our schedule, I will have to have your work by Monday 25nd October which is only ten days from now.  But I know you've already written one novel and so I feel confident that you can polish up a stand-alone part of it (or something else) by then.  Once I receive it I will post your piece on this blog.  I've never actually run out of room on a blog posting, but if your piece does run longer than the blog will allow, I will edit the part leading up to the part where the blog would cut you off, so that it doesn't end in mid-word or something awful like that.  I can tell you for sure it won't take a whole novel.

The rest of you, please be aware that Jessica will (barring something unusual occurring) be providing me a piece by 25nd October (a Monday), which I'll then post on the blog.  I will respond to this on November 1, which gives me only one week to prepare my response to the blog, and so if Jessica can get her piece to me earlier, I'd appreciate it, and then it may be posted earlier.  The rest of you should read Jessica's piece by October 28 (the Thursday before my Monday public response) at  http://welwynsbooks.blogspot.com/  and send me your response emails that day. Send these response emails to bookavenger@hotmail.com.

Thanks so much for your cooperation on all these matters.

I may be responding in a podcast form, depending on whether it can be organized in time.  I'm assured you don't need anything special in your computer as long as it has a sound card to hear the podcast.  It won't disappear once you listen to it, so you can listen to it again and again.  Some people just find a lot of text overwhelming.

Best to you, as always,

Welwyn-on-books

16 comments:

  1. Critique can be tough, but I can attest my work has grown and improved a lot. It is invaluable.

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  2. Thanks Welwyn! I'm going to get piece ready now. Just need to fill in one detail before I send it, but have to look that detail up from piles of papers. :) Will get to you soon.

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  3. Just today I had to decline participating in a local art workshop due to upcoming hand surgery... so I'm ecstatic that we have 16 people and can proceed with this online workshop!!
    Thank you, Welwyn. :-)

    Loretta

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  4. Email is on its way! :D Deb

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  5. Great, Deb. I'm looking forward to receiving the email to bookavenger@hotmail.com.

    Tell me your workshop name, real name, and a couple of sentences on what you like about Jessica's chapter and what you think might help improve it.

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  6. Quenby, I know you're very busy, but Jessica's got a short chapter up and I would very much like to receive a couple of sentences from you (that's all, just a couple) on what you like about her chapter and why and what you think might improve it and why.

    Send to bookavenger@hotmail.com

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  7. Oh, poor Rettakatt, to be an artist and need surgery on your hand. We'll hope your participation in this workshop will make up for your lost art workshop.

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  8. MPax is really showing the right attitude. Critiquing can be tough, though on the whole I prefer gentle encouragement while pointing out areas I think could be improved. But any kind of critiquing can help you improve your writing if you don't take it personally. That is, you the person are not being critiqued. Your story is being loved enough to be assisted.

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