Here's a recap for our second workshop. It includes some writing exercises and how we've agreed to use the hour.
Session 2: What Does Where Look like?
Recap: We wrote and/or reflected about what we’d like to write for these workshops. I’m hoping you’ll write the stories you want to read and that are a form of advocacy for you. This might mean in terms of representation, themes, topics, place, story, etc...Sometimes writing characters existing in spaces others do not expect them to exist in is a form of advocacy. It’s up to you how you use your writing as a form of advocacy. At some point you’ll need to consider your audience and what you want/need them to think, feel, know, and get from your piece. Right now, anything is possible within your draft.
We also agreed a workshop framework. We decided to keep the live hours for writing exercises, talk, and sharing what we’ve written during the session and to workshop drafts throughout the month in the google classroom for those on it and in Facebook for those who choose to engage there.
You are in a workshop group (if you aren’t already in one, please add yourself to one either in the Google classroom, in the Facebook Group, or ask me and I can put you in a group). If you want to workshop on Facebook, we can decide a format that might work best. You all might want to share drafts via messenger or email, etc...Ideally there will be no more than five people per group.
Workshops are monthly. You do not have to submit a piece each month but please do provide your group with feedback even if you do not submit a piece. There is a form you may want to use to help you provide feedback (it’s located in the Google classroom). To have a piece workshopped for the month, please submit it by the Tuesday before the workshop. That gives people a week to read it and provide feedback. If you’re in the Google classroom, you can provide your feedback directly on the document or in a format that feels best for you. Draft word counts are 1,000 words or less.
A challenge with the Google classroom: permissions. If you can’t find the workshop space and/or google folder for the class, please let me know. I may need to grant you permissions. I thought anyone with the link would have access to everything so I’m learning that isn’t the case.
Writing exercise 2 10-15 minutes in bullet points, sentences, fragments, pictures, words, bring the setting to life:
What does where look like? Thinking of the piece you’ve already written, something you want to write, or a new place, let’s consider setting.
Some questions: Where does this take place? When? What does it look like? What are the fabrics of the society? What sort of people are in power? What do they want? What are the imbalances and stereotypes? What is the source of pain? What is the transportation system: how do people get around? Where do people gather? How? Where do they get their news? What sorts of food do they eat? How do they get it?
What is the landscape like?
What does it smell like?
What is the weather? How does it feel?
What tastes do you think of?
What sounds do you hear?
Is this place densely populated? What is the nature like?
What’s possible only in the place you’ve created? What stories or secrets might it hold?
Write: Write a brief scene where the characters engage with the setting fully and in a way that shows the reader where this is (without your having to tell us). Feel free to submit the draft to the workshop, share it on Facebook, or to not share it (the choice is yours).
See you in August!
We meet in Zoom the last Tuesday of the month. To join us there, register here: https://shu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMvc-ytpjMvGtfFznVzNjfoqOSmdJaGpFTI
Contact me to join the workshops in the Google Classroom.