In a message dated 10/4/02 6:37:46 GMT Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes:
I'd be interested to know from you guys of your experience of creative
writing models other than the workshop.
I've got a language problem here - does 'guys' include women? If it does then my contribution is to say that I never ask students to say what is _wrong_ with each other's work but what is _right_ with it. We do exercises like one of Erin's - passing a piece around the group and each underlining a phrase or line that we think the best.... when the writer gets the piece back they have to work from the underlined words and let the rest fall away (at least for one redrafting.....)
I spend a lot of time working around 'transformations' of existent texts...... teaching them to do free writing........ doing writing exercises together and pooling ideas/lines/vocab....... doing cut-ups of different kinds and taking language from wherever they can find it. We all get used to writing together and collaborating (I always join in any exercises I am leading) so that dialogue can happen without a need to be critical or say negative things.
We have fun and students keep coming back to the group. (Which is a voluntary extra with no credit)
Liz
