A creative writing workshop is a great way to get some creative juices flowing, and having a group of like-minded individuals around you to bounce ideas off is also a great way to improve your craft. However, not all writers are made equal, and you should put your best foot forward to ensure that your workshop goes as smoothly as possible and that your students have an experience that they will value and remember.
Find A Niche
One of the first things that you should do if you are organizing a creative writing workshop is to find a niche. This way, you can target the kind of writing that you are doing and focus on presenting the best content to your members. If you have a specific theme or color scheme that you want to follow, you can use that to help you narrow your content choices. For example, if you are focusing on short stories, then you might want to look for shorter works in themed anthologies or collections rather than a longer literary novel. This will help you to keep your content fresh and interesting, and it will also give you some limitations on where you are able to go with your writing.
If you run a business, then you might want to consider looking for a workshop for business authors. If you are passionate about creating a welcoming and inspiring environment for women in business, then why not look for a creative writing workshop for female writers or run a workshop for aspiring businesswomen. These are just some of the countless possibilities for workshops, and you should explore them all. The more you know, the more you can offer.
Know Your Audience
Your writing should always be characterized by integrity and respect, and this includes your audience as well. It is a common mistake for aspiring writers to put their feelings first and attempt to write what they really want to say. To do this, you have to be completely aware of who you are writing for, what they want, and what will make them interested in your work. You have to dig deep and find out what makes them tick. It is also essential that you consider what is motivating them at the moment that you are writing. This could be a specific event, such as the presidential election in 2020, or it could be a timeless issue, like climate change.
No two people are ever going to read the same book, and this is especially true if you are talking about a classic or a widely known work. Even for modern books, you are always going to have at least two different readers, and the one thing that you want to avoid is a one-way conversation with your audience. You want to engage with them, and you want them to come back for more.
If you are fortunate enough to have a dedicated group of readers who like your work and want to discuss it, then a blog may be the perfect place to do this. You can put up a regularly scheduled post, and in it you can discuss a range of topics that interest your audience and engage with them on a more personal level. You can also use your blog to promote upcoming events that you have coming up, such as readings and launch parties, or you can use it as a way to thank your fans for their support. In addition, if you have a broad following on social media, then you can use these platforms to engage with your audience throughout the year. Whether you have 500 Instagram followers or 10,000, you can use these platforms to put out content that is engaging and informative.
Consider What You Need
One of the most important things to consider when leading a creative writing workshop is what you need. Do you need a specific piece of equipment, such as a typewriter or a computer, or is a notebook and a pen sufficient? Is there anything else that you need to have in order to run a successful workshop, such as score sheets or sticky notes?
If you are in a country where electricity is available, then you may not need to think about what you need. However, if you are going to be traveling or meeting friends for coffee and cocktails, then you will definitely want to bring your laptop. You can also use it as a way to communicate with your students during the workshop, as well as look up references and preview your work. If you are on the road to nowhere with no signal, then you can also use your phone as a hotspot to share your WiFi connection with other devices (like your laptop).
Set A Regular Schedule
Another important thing to do if you are running a creative writing workshop is to set a regular schedule. This way, you can plan out when you are going to meet and when you are going to post content on your blog. It is a good idea to try and meet once a week, at the very least. The more you can do to establish and maintain a regular schedule, the more you can plan out your content and the less likely you will be to miss a post. The bonus of this is that when you do miss a post, your readers will notice and hopefully won’t take it personally. They will just think that you are busy with whatever you are doing, which is usually a good thing!
If possible, try to meet at a coffee shop or in a peaceful corner of a library so that you can get some work done in peace, or at least in relative peace. This way, you can ensure that your creativity does not get bogged down by all of the distractions that the real world has to offer. In addition to this, sometimes it is just necessary to get out of the house and socialize with others. Seeing a movie or going for a walk can sometimes help clear the mind and allow you to get some writing done. Some authors even write better when they are on the move. You might consider renting a cabin in the woods or taking a bus tour of famous ghost towns. Whatever it may be, find a way to get away from the hustle and bustle of the world and find some peace and quiet so that you can get some work done.
Make Sure That You Are Prepared
No one is an expert in every subject, and this includes writing. This is why you should always make sure that you are prepared before you start teaching. You should have all of the necessary materials in front of you, and you should know what you are going to teach before the day of the class. In addition, you should also do your best to keep the material interesting and engaging, as well as provide your students with the tools that they need to improve their craft.
If you are worried about whether or not you are going to have what you need for the class, then you should probably ask the people that you are teaching to help you out. If they are not able to, then you should probably find a way to get what you need. This is why you should not be afraid to ask for help, because often times people are more than happy to provide you with whatever you need, as long as you ask nicely.
Ensure That Everyone Is Meeting The Standards
Another important thing to do if you are running a creative writing workshop is to ensure that everyone is meeting the standards. This means that you should be setting a certain quality level that you are expecting from your students, and you should be keeping your eyes open for any signs of slacking off. People who attend your class should be able to speak clearly and completely, and they should be showing an effort to improve their craft. The better your class is, the better it will be for your students, and this means that you are doing your job as an educator by setting high standards for yourself and for others.
This also means that you should be setting up a grading system so that you can easily identify who is and who is not meeting your standards. For example, if you are wanting to teach a class about business and you have two people in your class who are not presenting themselves well, then you may want to simply give them a lower score on an assignment simply because of their poor presentation skills. It is not fair to the other students in your class who are doing a good job, but you have to be able to set clear guidelines for yourself and for others.
Follow Up
A key part of being a good teacher is ensuring that your students are taking in what you are teaching. This is why you should always follow up with your students after class. Some teachers find that writing a little bit every day builds momentum and encourages continued improvement. Additionally, you can also follow up with students after class via email or even a little post-it note on their homework. You can also choose to follow up with your students via calls, texts, or even snail mail. Just make sure that you are finding a way to stay in touch.