Writing workshops, yay or nay?

[Anonymous No.4458508]

This could be an /adv/ /lit/ hybrid post I suppose, but I'm posting here because /adv/ focuses on relationship problems mostly. My question is on writing workshops; are they worth it?

I have hours to decide on dropping a class to complete my schedule at uni, I'm either dropping greek/roman civ, mythology in literature, or advanced creative writing.

Advanced creative writing is the workshop class. I took two classes on creative writing before that. Getting responses on my writing was super rewarding, and some criticism was interesting and helpful. However it's a lot of work to juggle with 4 other classes that involve a bit of writing (and soon a job) having to give an honest read of other aspiring writers and write up a whole page of praise and criticism for each.

I also question if I will write enough if I drop the class to submit a short story this semester. If I take it, I have something to submit, if I keep greek/roman civ & mythology in lit, then I'll have to write up something outside of class time. I would keep all 3 classes but I'm enrolled in one extra as of now.

Help me make a decision /lit/! Has anyone else here had experience in workshops and what's your opinion on them?

[Anonymous No.4458592]

>>4458508
just a tiny bump

[Anonymous No.4458623]

>>4458508
>but I'm posting here because /adv/ focuses on relationship problems mostly

Loners giving loners relationship advices? Sounds like a great idea.

[Anonymous No.4458668]

>>4458623
>loners giving loners advice
kek
Well what I meant was that the only posts that get attention on /adv/ tend to be relationship oriented, or as you pointed out dealing with usual loner issues.

Figured /lit/fags would have more likely experienced writing workshops before. I'm really conflicted on this class

[Anonymous No.4458722]

>>4458668
A final bump before inevitable death

[Anonymous No.4458727]

>took writing class in old uni
>was star student, prof made me feel uncomfortable by over praising me in front of other students
>try to take writing class at new uni
>too many people
>don't even get an emailed reply
>tfw i win poetry competitions but they turned me down
>tfw will never meet qt poetry girls

[Anonymous No.4458763]

>>4458508
>/adv/
Fucking shit, I hate those faggots.
They're like a menstruating /r9k/.

[Anonymous No.4458791]

>>4458727
This class only has about a dozen people so I imagine it won't be like that.
>winning poetry competitions
Sounds pretty impressive anon, keep it up!
>tfw I will never meet qt poetry girls
I also wonder where these types can be found outside of classes, I guess bookstores/libraries but those seem like odder places to try and meet lasses
I relate to your plight too, got a piece in my first class accepted to be read by a well known author who was visiting, it was an amazing experience, 1 yr later submit moar for scholarship, shot down.

>>4458763
top kek

Has nobody experience in workshops?!

[Anonymous No.4458820]

>>4458791
>top kek
No, seriously. Once I asked them what would be the best way to become a reclusive, obsessive student and they went fucking nuts.

>Has nobody experience in workshops?!
I'm not american so my experience with workshops is absolutely different than yours(latin american, so YA supernatural romance is reserved for smelly autists and the critically stupid only), but it sounds that you're already juggling too much shit.

I'd say you save going to a workshop later, since having so many things to do will, most likely, mean both that your work won't be of the quality you want it to be and more stress for you.

[Anonymous No.4458842]

>>4458820
>work won't be of quality and more stress
This makes lots of sense. My last writing class I half-cared about the main piece of the semester simply because I wasn't coming up with an idea I was more passionate about before the deadline. If I keep this class I do need a short story written in the next 3 weeks, but I've got some general ideas already.

Thing is I'm totally ignorant of where I would find a workshop outside of uni, and I'm graduating after this semester. This is my last chance to submit for the uni's writing Mag. This I REALLY want to do. I basically took the advanced creative writing class to guarantee I'd have material to submit.

>I'm afraid focusing on 5 classes (no writing class) will lead to me not writing something for the mag
>the workshop class will guarantee I have writing to submit
>not taking the workshop class, I will have longer to write towards only one piece as opposed to two for the whole semester
>but I will not really have the opportunity to have it read beforehand with praise/criticism

All this said there is a fair amount of paper writing ahead of me in my other classes this semester. But I see getting printed in this mag as a great way to go out of college, maybe I should just rely on myself?


I'm actually a philosophy major, if it isn't obvious I'm too good at breaking shit down to come to a conclusion for my own damn good sometimes.

[Anonymous No.4458929]

>>4458842
blump

[Anonymous No.4458940]

>>4458842
Okay, here's an idea.
I wanted to try this on my last semester but couldn't because my work policy is fucking abysmal; what about joining all the classes/workshops you want, but you draw inspiration for your writing from your other classes?
Like, intertwining all the work you do together?

[Anonymous No.4458961]

>>4458940
>inspiration from other classes.
This hits on my dilemma with the 3 I have to pick from when it comes to dropping (ancient roman/greek civ, mythology in literature, adv. creative writing)

mythology in literature is easily useful for this kind of stuff, though I'm disappointed b/c the teacher is focusing some on kids' novels (harry pothead, percy jackson) counterbalanced a little bit with Shelley's Frankenstein, etc.

greek/roman civ meehh kinda.

I can't take all 6 I'm enrolled in now though, too much course-load. This workshop class counts as one of the 6.

I guess this is really subjective shit when it comes to workshops
>>4458842
but the greentext here really hits on what's biting at me

[Anonymous No.4459016]

>>4458961
What are the other classes?
It's not like you can't draw inspiration from classes unrelated to literature, especially considering that you're finishing philosophy.

[Anonymous No.4459044]

>>4459016
-modern philosophy
-philosophy and medicine (not med-school or anything just fulfills a req., wanted aesthetics but oh well)
-eastern mysticism

and then those other three.
I think I could draw inspiration from almost all the classes

I know I'll do more writing with a class that revolves around it though, just have been uncertain on workshops, they seem equal parts productive and counter-productive. But I would have a piece drafted, and already read, to be revised for the mag.

Sorry anons for the seemingly unproductive musing going on here, appreciate all the input though

[Anonymous No.4459193]

>>4458508

To be honest, I've gotten better and more consistent critques from fanfiction than going to workshops. Never tell a soul.

[Anonymous No.4459215]

>>4459193
lel
That's the thing about workshops, I feel like (maybe only for uni?) it's really really passive aggressive. It turns into this huge melting pot of ego.

I'm not innocent. I remember reading some pieces and feeling tortured that I had to pretend to find something I liked about them, and others where I had to pretend there was something wrong with them.

In my 2nd class I had this moment where I thought, "this shit is too subjective to be graded on or really critiqued in the way it's being critiqued".

It was still useful to get me writing.
That's my only fear, is not doing this class, and then not writing something, or not writing something as good as I would taking the class...
My main goal is to get into that mag...

[Anonymous No.4459248]

>>4459215

Get into flash fiction if all you care about is publication. Life is different when you have 20+ submissions out at a time.

[Anonymous No.4459327]

>>4459248
That was misleading. Not necessarily all I care about is publication. It's more that this is my last chance to get into that mag.

I found the workshop process kind of frustrating, but wonder if it will be crucial to developing something strong enough to get in there, and just divided with myself if I want to do it one last time before graduating.
I don't imagine there are a lot of workshops in the "real world" unless you know someone.

[Anonymous No.4459386]

>>4459248
I do find the idea of flash fiction interesting as fuck though, it's something I haven't tried before. Thanks anon.