FAQ

Workshop or Manuscript Review? Protocols? Expectations? Recommendations? 

Workshops are organized by genre: poetry, fiction, or mixed-genre. “Mixed-genre” can mean whatever the participants want, so there may be a variety of manuscripts in this category. In each category, there are two divisions: 

• Workshop: Participants share a limited selection of 8-10 poems or 10-20 pages of prose or the equivalent. 

• Manuscript review: This includes a complete manuscript collection of poems, short stories, or a novel that the author is ready for feedback on. It might be as ready for publication as the author can make it. Or it might be a roughed-out collection, and the author wants impressions from a first reading. Because of the size of such a work, it is important that participants share manuscripts in a timely manner. If you've written an 800-page epic, negotiate with your group how much to share and how much to summarize.

• Dates for sharing of manuscripts and how much to share should be decided by groups. Any suggestion made by the conference coordinator is just that: a suggestion. 

• It's all negotiable. Workshop members are responsible for contacting each other to agree on: 

  • A method for sharing work (email, cloud drive, physical mail). 

  • Workshop protocols (how to offer feedback). 

  • A means and/or place to do the work (each group will be responsible for finding a space to meet. In the event that the workshop is being conducted remotely, groups are responsible to choose and operate the platform that's best for them (zoom, google meets, skype, shouting at great distances, tin cans and string).

• If there are issues with a group member (e.g. lack of response, aggression, etc.) please try to work them out within the group. If this does not succeed, then contact the Conference Coordinator.

• You'll notice when you look at a schedule that workshop time is allotted on most days during an in-person conference. How and how much of that time is used is up to each individual group. Be mindful to give each participant an equal amount of attention. 

• We try to limit the number of participants in a workshop to four or five, and for a manuscript review, three or four--but three is probably best and a priority. Preparing to discuss four complete manuscripts is a lot to ask. 

Lecture or class or panel or caucus or book shop?

First: all classes are scheduled for ONE hour. Please stick to this guideline, unless you have made arrangements with the conference coordinator for some variation--and then it will appear on the schedule in it's new configuration. Because we typically do not schedule concurrent classes, the next class happens directly after the last one, often in the same space, so please be mindful not to go over time.  

• Lecture: Do you have a paper to read? A talk to give about a poem, story, novel? A craft lesson to give? A compelling story about your own adventures in writing and/or publishing? Lectures are typically structured as a talk given in 30 to 45 minutes, followed by an opportunity for Q&A afterwards. 

• Class: Perhaps a more engaging strategy might be to facilitate a whole class discussion after a much shorter introductory spiel. The teachers among us likely have a whole slew of strategies to employ for a lively, interactive session. If you know who the teachers are amongst us, don't hesitate to reach out if you would like some tips about how to structure an engaging hour. Generally, give people opportunities to interact, participate, talk, discuss, write, share, draw, or dance. Topics for classes are as varied as the people who are willing to facilitate them. A good rule of thumb, though: don't require a ton of preparation from your attendees. Ask them to read a few poems, sure. A story, okay. A novel--probably not--unless you have convened a group of people for a Book Shop. 

• Book Shop: Some Wally or a pair of Wallies or even a small gaggle of Wallies might choose a complete book for some deep dive conversation and/or analysis. This is generally structured as a discussion, but there may be (probably should be) a person or a couple of people who will facilitate. Sometimes Book Shops, if the schedule permits, can be stretched out over more than one session. However, nothing prevents a group of especially committed participants from scheduling their own thing--in the way that workshops are primarily the responsibilty of the participants. 

• Panel: Three or four or five individuals have an item for discussion, a particular writer or work, a writing dilemma, a publishing question, a need that requires addressing, or a big idea for which the panelists have expertise or relevant experiences to share. Panelists often give short takes in turn, and then a discussion is opened up for attendee participation. 

• Caucus: Three or four or five individuals have an item for discussion, a writing dilemma, a publishing question, a need that requires addressing, or a big idea for which THEY ARE NOT NECESSARILY EXPERTS--but would nevertheless like to present to the group. These sessions are more like open-ended discussions where the assumption is that everyone in the room has potentially helpful and/or wise things to say about the subject. Caucus leaders my facilitate--but it's also possible that they do nothing more than convene the session.