Places left

For anyone who might be hesitant about the workshop, thinking they might be too late to sign up, there are (as of this moment) still 9 places left. Five people have already been sent an invite and I'm waiting on someone saying whether they definitely want to be invited. I must say I'm surprised by how quickly those six people have responded, so it might be a good idea to register your interest.

UPDATE (Sunday evening) : All places taken sorry.

Some questions have arisen, so it seems a good idea to address them generally here. If you have any more questions, feel free to either ask in the comments here, or send me an email at squilford(at)gmail(dot)com.

Established Writers

I've been asked whether the workshop will appeal to already established writers. Now whilst I'm pretty sure there's not much I can teach JK Rowling, I would like to think I can appeal to all abilities. So don't think you have to be an absolute beginner, and I'm sure those who've had a bit of success can be a great help to those just starting out.

Time Zones

I've also been asked about whether the workshop will be run in real time, which is a concern for people living in different time zones. My idea is that each workshop will be one week long, with full courses lasting up to ten weeks, depending on subject matter. I'll post a task or discussion item on a Monday morning (GMT), and invite responses by Friday evening (GMT). Then I'll collect all the answers together and put them in a separate blog posting for a weekend discussion on what we've done so far, before moving onto the next task. However, whilst the idea is to have the discussion over the weekend, this isn't set in stone, and I've no problem with discussions running over. That shows people are interested. So, in answer to the question I was asked, time zones shouldn't be a problem, and I am willing to be flexible when needs be.


It might also be helpful for me to post my Ground Rules here to give everyone an idea of what's expected of workshoppers from the outset. (when I use the word 'here' in this piece, I am, of course, referring to the workshop blog and not this one).

Ground Rules:

Please do take part

Whilst at school or in a live workshop, there might be the room for the odd quiet one in the corner, I'd rather that didn't happen here. If you've asked to be here, then I would prefer if you didn't lurk. Even if you're only posting to agree with what someone else has said, at least you're posting and showing interest in the workshop. I will be putting up an icebreaker exercise and I would like everyone to respond to that within the first week.

Commenting and Critiquing

I am not here to shatter anyone's dreams of being a writer and neither should you be. I don't want anyone to leave this blog thinking that they're not good enough to be a writer. That's not for us or anyone else to decide. I do not believe in tough critiquing, and I most certainly don't condone cruelty under the guise of honesty. If you're not sure how to comment, use the following model: Say something positive, point up a negative, end on something positive. All criticism should be constructive, and for the avoidance of doubt, saying a story is 'crap and should go in the bin' is not constructive criticism.

Treat each other well

This is sort of linked to the above, but also applies to the way we all interact during discussions. If you disagree with something that someone has said, do so in a polite and constructive manner. Again, telling someone that they're talking a load of crap is not polite and constructive. I don't mind a hot debate, but always remember that it's the opinion that's been expressed you're disagreeing with, not the person.

Respect everyone's privacy
I'll be putting up some exercises that ask you about yourself (it is relevant, honestly). You are free to ignore anything that you feel uncomfortable with. If someone prefers not to answer a particular question, then respect their right to privacy. (though I'd rather if people told me they didn't want to answer, rather than me think they're not interested).


Copyrighted work

On occasion I may use short extracts from copyrighted work. This is a closed blog so I think we're safe, and it will come under the 'fair usage' laws. However, for the avoidance of doubt, please be sure that anything you post on here belongs to you or is properly credited to the owner. Never post whole works by someone else. If it's possible to link to them, then it's probably best to do that.


Have fun

As I've said, we're not in school, so apart from the above rules, which I think are more common sense than anything, we're here to enjoy ourselves. You can be serious about writing without being serious - if that makes sense.

So, if you think you're happy with all that, and want to take part, do send me an email.

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