Originally Posted by Isis It sounds like we have enough people interested that we could get something going over the next few weeks or month. What format is everyone most interested in trying?

Definitely love the sound of doing a workshop again. I really learnt a lot from that, and loved reading everyone's stuff. It was a lot easier to manage than doing things like crit camps. If everybody helps each other all the work won't fall onto one person (usually Isis). I think we have enough experienced poets and amateur ones that could give decent enough advice and help.

Also, I think it'd be cool to do a prose one too. I know Derez will definitely be up for it, and I would be too. I'm sure it would be a big hit, but it will take more effort in a way so it is kinda a big commitment.

Anyway, I'm in for anything, I guess. Anything to improve my writing and my school folio work.

[For anyone who's interested, here's the link to the TW poetry workshop thing http://www.teenagewriters.com/forum/...p-and-Workshop ]

Let's go with workshops if we can't manage individual camps

I would participate in something like a workshop; I agree with what everyone seems to be saying about keeping up participation. I used to have a camp thread but I was busy with school and work and just life in general so I didn't have as much time to just come on the forum and talk about what I was writing (even though I really, really wanted to). I was writing, but I didn't have the time to figure out what I wanted to take further and work with; a lot of it is still first-draft/jotting stage writing. The writing workshop would be less stressful because then I won't feel like I'm wasting someone's time individually.

Just gonna say that I like the idea and that I would participate should we ever get it up and running.

I would be into a workshop (tho not a camp at all). I'm hardly on here, don't know if that'll get better or worse--I suspect worse over the summer & better into the fall. I really have no idea where I am, writing-- a workshop would solidify it for me, & I'd love to just read all the work posted.
Also would be lovely to be personal, to point out running themes & issues in a person's work rather than putting down for an entire, single crit.

Bumping this again because I feel like we shouldn't lose this idea. Anyone know what's the update?

I just hope it gets started soon.

Since a mod meeting doesn't seem to be happening, I'd like to hold a gathering of rando mods/oldies/interested parties sometime soon in chat so we can discuss a workshop/camp situation, figure out a timeline for making it happen when people are actually around, and then divvy up some of the work. If you want to join in, please VM me some days/times in the next two weeks when you'd be around and down for discussion.
EDIT: Once I hear from a few people, I'll post with a day and time (and VM everybody).

The current thinking is a publishing bootcamp (visible only to participants) workshop for people really dead serious about improving individual poems and publishing them, as well as a sort of general poetry camp that a couple of members help out with and that is open to anybody who wants to learn and is willing to be taught by a handful of more experienced poets.

Spoiler:

Since a number of us are wrapping up the school year, I'd like to get the camps rolling within a few weeks (and perhaps the same thing for the super secret intense poetry workshop). Here's my general plan for each thing.

Poetry and Prose camps
General plan: like in the past, people will make a thread with some basic info that will help us get started - what they want to work on, what stuff they like to read, what questions they have. The camp can be a place for discussing particular pieces or general aspects of the craft, like the use of some device, or editing, or whatever seems relevant. This is also a good place to discuss examples. I like to give people poems to read, and so I hope that everybody who mentors also includes suggestions - of individual works or authors or whatever outside resources could be helpful. The camps are not a place to give critiques and only critiques; we want to critique somewhat but focus on the big picture of improvement here. And, as with most special stuff on the forum, not take away from the main writing/critiquing forums.

I'd like to have both a poetry and a prose camp going.

What I need to get started:
1. Mentors. Respond to this thread or VM me. Mostly I think you'll be a good fit as a mentor if you critique well on the forum already and if you have an even-handed, productive approach to really newbie work.

I'm looking for a handful of people for poetry and a handful for prose. Depending on interest we may or may not split prose into shorts vs. novels.

2. A public subforum (or two) - I want new people to readily see and join the camps.

Super secret poetry workshop
General plan: people who are interested in joining this can VM/PM me (or whoever else is helping facilitate) in order to join. This will be private, and only people actually in the workshop will be able to see it (like publishing bootcamp) This will be for people who are serious about one or both of the following things: improving their poetry, and publishing their poetry. Hopefully the first one over the second one. This will be run more like a creative writing workshop class that meets every two weeks. The idea is to post a poem every two weeks and then give detailed, no-holds-bars critiques on at least two or three other people's poems. It should be helpful for everyone over the course of the summer but not an enormous time commitment that takes away from the main critiquing happening on the forum. All the participants, including the facilitators (me and hopefully someone else) will be on equal footing - everybody's a student, and everybody's critiques matter.

What I need to get started:
1. A private forum, preferably a subforum setup like the publishing bootcamp

2. Someone who wants to help me facilitate - it won't be much work, but you'll help make sure nothing explodes and people get critiques.

I would be up for teaching prose (over poetry because I feel the amount of poets on this site is too damn high!), although I realise I wouldn't be able to hold many credentials to my name. Of course I'd be primarily interested in teaching contemporary/historical realistic, or literary fiction as opposed to genre - so if we were to have one camp, for fiction, then it would be best perhaps to graft in a mixture of skilled mentors.

Would also be interested in joining, as a mentee, the Poetry Workshop.