Got here via metablog though I saw the Rice rant in fandom_wank (and knew it was her because of a horrified read or two through her web site or blog a while ago in which she made all the same claims).
Excellent points on how the "prowriter" sounds a lot like some "fanwriters."
And you know, I teach creative writing, and this is why my one unalterable rule for writers is that the writer can never talk while we're workshopping hir work, 'no not even answer questions, no not make faces, no not use sign language, stop smiling/frowning/wiggling in anguish, just sit there and write down everything we say and go away and think about it, you're the writer, you can decide later on, but you cannot tell us what to see in your work, and whatever you think now you'll probably think differently in a couple of weeks' time and then we'll talk about it, so hush.'
And why my unalterable rule for readers is that the people workshopping don't just get to say any variant of it is good/bad, they have to describe what they see happening, what they think is going on, what they think is good or bad, specifics, specifics, specifics. Heck, once you're heard eight different summaries of what a poem is about for readers, or five different descriptions of the protagonist, you know there's a range of responses and early drafts need work, and a piece is never done just turned in.
It takes from 4-6 sessions to train them, then I can pretty much sit back and let them do all the work after that. The hardest part is for the writers to keep silent. We all really want to tell people what we mean, snicker.
I think Anne Rice needs a good writing workshop. Too bad she's apparently made so much money that editors can't touch her work. Maybe that will change....
p.s. I did like Interview with the Vampire, but it all went downhill after that one I thought and I gave up reading her many books ago.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2004-09-21 04:52 pm (UTC)Excellent points on how the "prowriter" sounds a lot like some "fanwriters."
And you know, I teach creative writing, and this is why my one unalterable rule for writers is that the writer can never talk while we're workshopping hir work, 'no not even answer questions, no not make faces, no not use sign language, stop smiling/frowning/wiggling in anguish, just sit there and write down everything we say and go away and think about it, you're the writer, you can decide later on, but you cannot tell us what to see in your work, and whatever you think now you'll probably think differently in a couple of weeks' time and then we'll talk about it, so hush.'
And why my unalterable rule for readers is that the people workshopping don't just get to say any variant of it is good/bad, they have to describe what they see happening, what they think is going on, what they think is good or bad, specifics, specifics, specifics. Heck, once you're heard eight different summaries of what a poem is about for readers, or five different descriptions of the protagonist, you know there's a range of responses and early drafts need work, and a piece is never done just turned in.
It takes from 4-6 sessions to train them, then I can pretty much sit back and let them do all the work after that. The hardest part is for the writers to keep silent. We all really want to tell people what we mean, snicker.
I think Anne Rice needs a good writing workshop. Too bad she's apparently made so much money that editors can't touch her work. Maybe that will change....
p.s. I did like Interview with the Vampire, but it all went downhill after that one I thought and I gave up reading her many books ago.