Workshops

[PhDweeb]

I recently got a job where one of my responsibilities is to run creative writing workshops, 2-4 of them a semester. This is an exciting opportunity, but I'm having trouble figuring out how these workshops should be designed.

If I were teaching a course, there would be a stable group of students that I could expect to see every week, and that I could give assignments and readings to. But I won't have any idea who will be at these things until I walk into the room.

In one-on-one instruction, I have the student's specific story or poem in front of me, and I can give it my full attention and modulate my advice to that person's specific issues. But there will be several people at these events, and it'll be very hard to incorporate their writing into the discussion without going over time.

At the same time, I don't think these would be good as one-off lectures, where I stand in front of everyone and explain didactically how dialogue works or somesuch. That sounds like a bad idea all around.

So does anyone have any advice for teaching in a workshop format? Any bit of help would be appreciated.

[Parasaurolophus]

I recently got a job where one of my responsibilities is to run creative writing workshops, 2-4 of them a semester. This is an exciting opportunity, but I'm having trouble figuring out how these workshops should be designed.

If I were teaching a course, there would be a stable group of students that I could expect to see every week, and that I could give assignments and readings to. But I won't have any idea who will be at these things until I walk into the room.

In one-on-one instruction, I have the student's specific story or poem in front of me, and I can give it my full attention and modulate my advice to that person's specific issues. But there will be several people at these events, and it'll be very hard to incorporate their writing into the discussion without going over time.

At the same time, I don't think these would be good as one-off lectures, where I stand in front of everyone and explain didactically how dialogue works or somesuch. That sounds like a bad idea all around.

So does anyone have any advice for teaching in a workshop format? Any bit of help would be appreciated.

Will students be bringing a piece of their own writing into the workshop for workshopping, or are these more like the skill-acquisition workshops universities run for grad students, new teachers, and new researchers? Also, how long are they supposed to be?

If it's the former, I can imagine something like this working pretty well: you start by giving a quick intro, and guide them through a few examples, maybe lead a discussion about what works and doesn't in some particular piece. Then you have them pair up for a peer evaluation of their work; if the piece they bring in is short enough, you could rotate the groups a few times.

[the_geneticist]

I agree that you should know your audience (who is this workshop for? what are their skills?) and what the participants would like to see/make/do/discuss (what are they writing?).  There are plenty of fun resources with the "National Novel Writing Month" website.  Maybe pick a few of these to highlight and explore.  Good workshops are ones where you actually make/create something at the workshop.  Otherwise it's just a discussion or seminar.

[hungry_ghost]

Good workshops are ones where you actually make/create something at the workshop.  Otherwise it's just a discussion or seminar.

With all due respect, I could not disagree more. A good workshop is one to which I bring a work I have already made/created but that is still in progress. Ideally, I've already developed my work to the point that it is as good as I can get it on my own. During the workshop, others engage with my work and critique it, and their feedback allows me to get my work even better than I could have done on my own. I think of creative writing workshops as "live group peer review".

There are numerous websites on running workshops. After reading the OP, I have the following questions:
Will there be advance sign-up or will you just take all comers?
Are there any criteria ("prerequisites") or are these workshops open to all? (really? general public at the local library? the university community? all undergrads? all majors in X? etc)
Are there limited seats available and do you expect them all to fill?

Is the aim of the workshop (a) to "workshop" (critique) participant works in progress? or (b) to "(learn to) make something"?
If (a):
Will all individuals bring works in progress for critique? Will there be a limited number of works that can be critiqued, and how will you choose them? Whoever gets there first? by topic of the workshop? ("This is a poetry workshop, save your mystery novel for next time") Your assessment of the works submitted? Numbers from a hat?
Will those works be available to you and/or to other attendees prior to the workshop? Will you ask them to bring multiple copies to the workshop?
Will you do hotseat critique sessions (all attention to one person), or divide into small groups and everyone read everyone and critique/discuss? If small groups, how will you choose those groups and how big will they be?
etc

If (b), I have never run (nor even participated in) that kind of workshop. It sounds like the creative writing equivalent to a studio art class meeting, but instead of, say, figure drawing, participants write a poem or a piece of a narrative work?  Sorry, I do not have any clue what questions to ask but I bet others can help.

[the_geneticist]

Good catch!
I'd say that getting great feedback is you creating something at the workshop.  What I was trying to say is that the participants need to be actively involved and doing something.  I've been to a rather poorly run "teaching workshop" where the leader just talked at us. 

[hungry_ghost]

I've been to a rather poorly run "teaching workshop" where the leader just talked at us.

(brief hijack...) Kind of makes you wonder how the leader TEACHES?

[MaterialIssue]

I've been to a rather poorly run "teaching workshop" where the leader just talked at us.

(brief hijack...) Kind of makes you wonder how the leader TEACHES?

Exactly this. I am a mentor for new teacher training, and the person leading the session, without fail, models terrible teaching. The sessions barely have a net positive effect because of it.