the online writers workshop

the online writers workshop

The Benefits and Techniques of Online Writers Workshops

1. Introduction to Online Writers Workshops

Joining an active writer’s workshop online can be a great learning experience for those who are just starting out writing or who are looking to develop their creative or professional skills further. They’re open to both beginners and seasoned professionals who want to make connections, get into the daily writing grind, and boost their portfolios or current projects as they progress. The best part is that you don’t even have to live in the same city (or even the same country) as these groups, therefore making them more accessible to all.

In today’s digital age, online workshops can seem like just another trend that writers feel like they have to participate in. Writers already spend ample time networking and improving their skills on various platforms, but sometimes these just don’t cut it. If you’re an introverted writer or are looking for a more dedicated circle of friends and fellow writers for the more personal side of writing and editing, then online writers workshops or critique groups are just what you need. The internet has made it so easy for writers to come together on dedicated and virtual platforms to share their work and get feedback from like-minded people. These workshops, especially if they are facilitated for a specific writing genre, can have some incredible benefits for your portfolio, your resume, and your personal growth as a creator.

Online Writers Workshops and Online Writing Groups

2. Advantages of Participating in Online Writers Workshops

The advantages of opting to participate in these virtual writing communities are plentiful. A major one is the often flexible schedule, which can appeal to writers who have no other use for the internet; all participants have to do is acquire an internet connection, sign up for a workshop, make their payment online if they have to (participants are expected to pay a nominal registration fee if they are attending a festival in person and if they elect to avail of the online feedback offered), and find the prompt for the topic or genre that they write in, at the time of the festival. In addition to enjoying their own privacy, online participants invariably get reflective opportunities that actual fiction, creative writing or novel writing workshops don’t have, even if they have to type furiously, while tuning into their interconnected writing community to get the benefits of participating in a writer’s workshop.

Writers’ desire to develop their craft is often stymied by their own lack of confidence and a fear that they aren’t good enough for a real-life group of writers, which may lead them to steer clear of any sort of feedback. On the other hand, the advantages of opting to participate in online writers’ workshops are numerous and are particularly pertinent in this digital age where we live at a breakneck speed. With greater flexibility, more leeway for debate and opinion, continuous and larger comments, and a sense that an individual is part of a broader global writing community, participants who are newer to the craft but who are open to constructive criticism or seasoned scribes who are open to tuning up their honed writing voices can benefit from these workshops. And, since the setting is virtual and this ingathering is accessible, almost everyone who needs to write regularly or have a project that they have their heart set on can log in and sign up.

3. Key Elements and Structure of Successful Online Writers Workshops

In order to allow busy writers to reflect on their own schedules and participate, educators need to create a learning environment with a clear structure. One that values the time of the educator and the participants would be the use of asynchronous instruction to deliver the workshop content. Asynchronous instruction allows the educator to plug in additional software to provide lecture, ask questions, guide the participants, and elicit feedback from the forum, send private messages and track the progress of individual participants as well as the progression of the course. Neuroscience tells us this type of limited socializing could produce a community of novice writers who were trying to do multitasking around a lesson focus that required their undivided attention.

Online writers workshops have evolved, and the use of technology has made it easy for writers to interact with others in a learning community without leaving their homes or having to schedule time to travel to and from a workshop site. Webinars can provide the same seminar or workshop experience without the travel and time required. The skills to facilitate such workshops online are the same as facilitating face-to-face workshops. However, one should also consider the process of creating a successful online writers workshop. A successful online writers workshop structure consists of a clear beginning, middle, and end, combined with a keen connection and communication with participants.

4. Interactive Writing Exercises and Feedback in Online Writers Workshops

What usually happens in an online writers workshop is that the author follows a set of interactive instructions or uses interactive tools to develop an aspect of their writing. The exercise then asks interactive check-ins or queries about the work thus far. At a certain point, beyond which the creator cannot continue without understanding (checking) some details, the writer will post the piece and a question or check-in for review. Other participants will reply with their thoughts on the work and answer the question. In this way, there is not only interaction with oneself and the exercises, which is normally interactive in and of itself, but with the rest of the “class” as well. Writers receiving feedback might ask questions about anything a reader says. This is the best way to get the type of feedback desired. Think of feedback like ordering food from a menu – if you do not like the way your steak was cooked, sending it back gets you what you ordered – a “well done” steak. That same kind of back-and-forth is great for getting the kind of feedback that will help you improve your writing. In this writers workshop, we hope to foster a community of writers who share this philosophy and are involved in a constructive exchange.

Online writers workshops provide a unique interactive environment and set of guided exercises for participants to practice their skills and improve them. Many such systems exist to help writers focus on a specific aspect of their writing and then provide feedback on that aspect to other participants. Excerpts from the works written are then usually shared with the community. Different writers workshops may emphasize different aspects, but as a whole, they focus on the creative aspect of writing, inspiring people to create through guided exercises.

5. Strategies for Maximizing Learning and Growth in Online Writers Workshops

Maximizing Learning and Growth: Techniques for the Online Writers Workshop Participant 1. Capitalize on Networking 1. Expect that your classmates and friends will move with you into the community of writers. Group fitness workshops and online classes in yoga, for example, generally share e-workshop forums with writers, teachers, and a wide variety of participants who are fulfilling aspirations and meeting new people. Networking and becoming familiar with the people who are drawn to the same kinds of things (such as exercise, beauty, and writing) is an excellent way to get on the inside of a new e-workshop group and meet its members. Advice, opportunity, camaraderie, and valuable perspective can often be gained via networking, informal partnering, and the association with mentors who are just a few steps ahead.

Participation in an online writers workshop frequently revolves around time, as holding down a full-time job and managing a household are enough to keep any writer constantly striding against the tick-tock of the clock. In my experience, there are a few strategies that a person can use to extend and revolve the learning and growth experience beyond the scope of the course functions. The course may fade and the environment may change, but the community of learning can remain strong and fresh long after that final conference ends. From taking advantage of available resources, to spending extra time and effort on small assignments, to networking and volunteering in the service of the group, the online writer can gain a lot from her writers workshop experience, especially if she is willing to reach beyond the expected.