A reader from Montana wrote to ask how the Writers Studio was set up and what were the guidelines for the
workshop.  First of all the Writers Studio is part
of the Writers’ Program at UCLA Extension and taught by professional writers
who also teach regularly in Extension. This year there were four screenwriting courses and five in creative writing.  I taught Writing The Personal essay and the class ran from
ten in the morning until six in the evening for four days. There were guidelines and discussions
about technique, a lot of writing exercises, published essays read aloud, a
film (a documentary about Anne Lamott), a speaker (the smart, funny, and wonderful
author of Driving With Dead People, Cowboy and Wills and an upcoming essay
collection, Monica Holloway – who I’m proud to say, is a former student of
mine) plus two workshop sessions of everyone reading an essay aloud and getting
feedback from the group and from me. 

For a workshop I think
there does need to be protocol (to answer my reader’s question)– First of all
the writer needs to remain silent as his or her work is critiqued. You don’t
need to explain or defend a piece of writing – what’s on the page is what’s
important. (After the critique the writer gets a chance to talk.) Everybody else
should avoid rambling off into personal anecdotes and stay focused on the work.
Don’t try to rewrite the piece for the author, ask questions (that the writer
should make notes about, not try to answer) Did one section confuse you?  What did you love and what seemed flat?–
and give specific reasons why.  If
you’re workshopping in a writing group without an instructor or leader –
someone needs to be in charge of the time. Reading aloud for over ten minutes
can cause peoples’ eyes to glaze over. (Use a kitchen timer.) Let us hear from
you if you’re doing writing workshops and what your experience has been.

Upcoming for my workshops
and classes: the Wellness Community writing workshop in Redondo Beach, CA
February 27^th, Saturday 9-noon. It’s free and you don’t have to sign
up ahead of time. Then a limited (12 students only) advanced non-fiction class
at UCLA Extension starting in April and going for six weeks.  The Arrowhead Writers Retreat is full,
but if you’d like to be on an advance notice list for the next one in November
2010 please email me. (B.Abercrombie@verizon.net)

Here’s a writing prompt
for today that we did in the last Wellness workshop: I don’t want to write about…(You might try a list – start every line
with I don’t want to write about….)