Poet's Workshop

photo by Gerry Williams

On the Benefits of Workshopping by Terrie Leigh Relf ©2002 All rights reserved

A few years back, in the Sept. 8, 2000 issue of ComputorEdge, to be exact, my piece "Online Writing Groups", appeared in the "Beyond Personal Computing" section (42, 44). Since my sentiments on internet communities are the same, and have even grown exponentially, I’m going to excerpt most of it here. After that, I’m going to delve into what’s often referred to as "face-to-face" groups.

Online Writing Groups

If you want to be a good writer, you need to share your work with others. It’s all about being part of a writing community. Whether the members are buried somewhere off the coast of Greece or live in the condo across the street from you, one writer inspires another.

Call it cross-fertilization, tapping the collective unconscious, or symbiosis—the process is as real, and as delightful as running into a long-lost friend.

But there’s more than inspiration going on. The often-tedious work of polishing up a story, poem, or essay—draft by draft—can also benefit from being part of a community of writers. In this regard, rubbing physical or mental elbows won’t be enough. You need to make a deal with several literary friends: You’ll critique their stuff at a fine level of detail in exchange for their doing the same for you.

So, now that you’re experiencing that urge to merge with a writing community, just how do you go about doing it?

The old way was taking classes at universities, attending reading groups, or becoming a "regular" at your local bookstore or library. Not very efficient. At best, you’ll run into the writers who live in your neighborhood or in your city.

But hey—there’s an entire universe out there! Enter Cyberland and mind-meld with literally millions of other writers.

"But wait," you say. "I want to meet my writing friends face to face."

I’m a real social person, so that’s what I used to feel, too. In fact, I have found several excellent face-to-face workshopping opportunities in my area…

Unfortunately, at best, a writers’ group will meet once a week. If you are looking for immediate feedbaclk on your writing from a large number of persons with highly diverse aesthetic perspectives—without having to bend your calendar and drive halfway across the city—then there is simply no substitute for the Internet…..

Here are some examples of how an on-line critique group works. In one, we have to produce weekly and critique three pieces, minimum. In another, we can submit any time we want, but need to complete at least one critique per week. In still another, if they don’t see you post something somewhat regularly, they bombard you with well-meaning e-mails suggesting that if you don’t produce, the Muse—or the Poetry Goons—will come after you.

Finally, one group encourages us to post regularly (weekly, at best), but if we don’t and just want to lurk, then that’s OK—but just for awhile.

Participation in these online writers’ groups involves dedication and commitment, but those are essential ingredients in the diet of any writer who wishes to be successful.

Groups such as these also provide the much-needed—but highly dreaded—deadline, which is essential if you’re going to do this in real life. I don’t know about you, but I thrive on the energy posed by these deadlines.

Besides the sheer number of people you can contact, and the immediacy of feedback, here are additional benefits of online workshopping:

• You can submit and critique any time of the day or night. I’m usually doing this around 2:30a.m.

• You’re able to get together out of your neighborhood, no traffic, no fighting for parking spaces and, in my case, no waiting for buses.

• You can sniff out trends in writing long before they hit your town.

• You will undoubtedly increase the number of pieces you have published, both online and in hard copy. I know I have.
(excerpt ends here)

That said, I also want to encourage you to join ongoing face-to-face critique groups as well. Here are a few resources to get you started—or begin your own group (see Q&A for a straightforward practicum).

Check out these On-line Resources

Why don’t you start with The Official Home Page of the PSI Certified San Diego Poetry Slam? There’s a slam and open reading schedule, slide show, photo gallery, and other tidbits to juice that Muse! While I’m at it, let’s give a round of applause to Urban Grind in Hillcrest, Red’s Espresso Bar in Pt. Loma, and Twiggs Green Room in University Heights for supporting things poetic—and especially for putting up with all the eccentricities of us poets!

http://poetryscenestealers.tripod.com/page_b.html

Live and in person, there’s: The Poetsperformance-series open reading began in 1997 in Ocean Beach, and has since relocated to a coffeehouse in Point Loma. Hosted by Robt O'Sullivan Schleith, this twice-monthly reading is also a peer-critique group in the tradition of Chris Vannoy's "Poets' Tree". Everyone attending is encouraged to read, either their own work or that of their favorite authors'. Numerous poetry anthologies are available at the reading. The reading begins and ends with several poems chosen to reflect a leitmotif for the afternoon. Held on the second and fourth Sundays of the month, from 4 til 6 pm. See website for calendar.
http://poetryscenestealers.tripod.com/

The Black Writers Alliance lists local organizations, events, and other community-creating resources—including the African American Artists, Writers, and Poets Organization, founded by Jimye Collins:

http://www.blackwriters.org/community/

San Diego Writers' Cooperative
http://www.sandiegowriters.org

San Diego Writers Cooperative has put a call for a poetry group out on their e-mail list:
sdwc@lists.sandiegowriters.org

Remember The Writing Center in Hillcrest? Judy Reeves now has The Writers Room. Don’t miss her column in Personal Journaling either!
http://www.writersconference.com/writersroom/
http://www.personaljournaling.com

Visit http://www.sol-magazine.com for a stellar publication. They have detailed guidelines with examples of poetic forms; thought-provoking and inspirational columns; monthly contests; free membership; and they also a Poet Laureate Competition! Did I mention the staff are incredibly supportive, great poets—and there’s a few artists in the house, too--even down to the webmaster who claims he’s not a poet.

Visit http://www.poeticvoices.com for a wealth of "poetic voices"! They also have a "best of the web" essay section, other timely columns, friendly editors, publication and conference resources, and so much more.

Internet-Resources.com: Writing Links & Links for Writers

Networking & Connections & Camaraderie
http://www.internet-resources.com/writers/wrlinks-cnxn.htm

Q&A Section

Q: How do I start my own poetry critique group?

A: Here are a few pointers:

• Look for, meet with, and "collect" poets (e.g., at readings, in school,local lists, etc.).

• Compare schedules to find a day and time that you can all (even if it’s just two of you) meet on a regular basis (consistency is important). Mix up your meeting place venues to inspire writing: cafes, people’s homes, the park or a local pub like my favorite Whistle Stop (since a Guinness now and again is good for the writer’s soul!). If there’s a techie in the house, you could create a chat room. E-mail works great, too. Create a group list so that you can send questions, comments, and revisions to everyone at the same time (when appropriate).

• Hand-out work ahead of time (via e-mail or at the prior meeting) or read it on the spot (both do work, although I personally prefer the latter so that I have time to really process).

• I suggest meeting for at least two hours at a time. Since it’s your group, you need to decide what works best. I’ve known poets who rent cabins in the mountains for a weekend here and there so that they can really focus on their work. Talk about living the poet’s life…ah! Take turns focusing on a single poet, depending on the number of poets in your group, two-to-three. You can also share work "round-robin" style. Invite guest speakers, bring exercises. Poet groups don’t only have to be about critiquing; you can also write together.

• Provide honest, respectful, and revision-inspiring commentary

• Poets—ask for what you need!

Stay tuned for next month’s Q & A for a response to, "how do you critique a poem?"

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