[Newspoetry] online writing workshop

[gillespie william k]

I've been thinking about instituting next year an online writing workshop.
I imagine that it would be structured this way: according to an
agreed-upon schedule, every weekend (maybe say by Sunday at midnight) one
of the participants would email a work-in-progress to a listserve, maybe
as an attachment, or maybe post it on the web and send a URL, and
throughout the week people would give critical feedback to the list, and
discuss. The purpose of this is specifically for writers to get feedback
on unfinished or nearly-finished or just-finished work. And to provide
writers with deadlines and motivation.

I'm wondering:

* Whether anybody knows of anything like this that's already going on. (I
know ELO has a workshop in the form of a chat, limited to electronic
works which are made available on the web beforehand.)

* Whether anybody is interested in participating.

* Whether anybody has comments or suggestions about dealing with the
following issues:

+ Participation: This idea is based on a classroom model in which
everybody is graded on giving feedback to the writer. I would like
everybody to feel obliged to respond to every work. There shouldn't be
lurkers.

+ Privacy: I would like for these works-in-progress to be available only
to participants. The list should perhaps not have an archive on the web.
People should not forward emails from the list without the permission on
the person who wrote them.

+ Membership: Because getting feedback on writing, when it's done well, is
a sensitive issue for just about everybody, I'd like the list not to be
open to everybody on the web the way this list is. At the same time, I'd
like it to be open to people who would be good list participants whom
nobody has ever met. And if anybody felt deliberately excluded, that could
undermine the morale of the group. 

+ Size: Is it possible for such a membership to be too large or too small? 

+ Duration: If the project had a specific ending time, or an explicit
periodic cycle, it might be easier for people who didn't like it to leave
gracefully. I am also much happier about participating in things that will
end, because it means it's safe to get a little burnt out on them, so I
can be more involved.

+ Moderator: Should there be a single person whose role it is to oversee
membership, or a position which is passed from person to person according
to a schedule, or neither?

+ Computers are icky: Any comments on the less obvious
advantages/disadvantages over/under this idea and a live weekly
writing group meeting in the "meat"? 

Feedback is welcome, and please forward this message to anyone you think
might be interested. This idea is still in the head-scratching stage.

william

w w w .
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