Writing workshops
Dunsford Publishing Consultants/Global Dialogues: Writing Workshop Process
While all our workshops are unique and depend upon the individual needs of the participants, some general processes apply and may help you decide if the workshops will work for you. Please do not hesitate to contact the tutor[s] to ask for any specific needs you may have.
These writing courses have developed from tried methods used with writers in Europe, US, UK, Australia and New Zealand. 184 of these writers from the workshops have been nurtured and taken through from the workshops to successful book publication.
Workshop Process in depth
The main point of the workshop is to address your specific needs and your relationship to your own writing at whatever point of the process you are, be this as a beginner or a management consultant with ideas to brainstorm or an author with published work wanting new inspiration and techniques to help structure your work.
Writers at all stages of the process often state their fears of being in a writing group, sometimes based on past bad experiences or the fear that their needs will not be met or their issues not discussed. This is very common with both new and advanced writers. These issues can be raised at the opening round where each writer is asked what they wish to get from the workshop, what their own unique aims and goals are and what specific problems they may have which need addressing over the workshop. In this initial round of introduction, writers are given ample time to put forward their needs and have the tutor address these needs.
After this initial introduction, members of the group often find they share similar issues which can be addressed in the course of the workshop. It breaks the ice and allows us all to get to know each other better.
The aim is to inspire and encourage rather than to push people toward goals that may not be relevant for them. You are encouraged to find solutions which are in tune with your own needs. We aim to meet individuals on their own ground rather than prescribing what this may be for you. Please feel welcome to attend even if you are curious at this stage to know whether any form of writing is in tune with your own needs.
There is no predetermined aim for any workshop other than to meet the needs of the individual writers coming to the workshop. The facilitator will use her knowledge of the writing and publishing processes as a practitioner and as a publishing consultant over three decades to help writers with any questions and problems they may bring along to the workshops. Each workshop varies greatly according to the aims and needs of the participants.
The course outline is intended as a guide only. The writing course you are attending can be altered to meet your own specific needs and those of others coming. For example, if writers are more keen on examining brainstorming, sources of inspiration and writing techniques than the issues of publishing, the course will be geared to that end after the initial introductory round. The facilitators are available to answer any questions asked by any of the participants, so all needs can be addressed.
The workshop process is intended to be participatory, so that you get out of it what you put in whether this be reading your work or brainstorming ideas with others or giving feedback to others. Writers will learn as much from each other as from any trained tutor and this is why writing workshops are important rather than just reading books about the writing and/or publishing process.
While the tutor is keen for all techniques, materials and information to be shared as widely as possible with as many people as possible outside the course, the content and ideas within each writer’s work is kept sacred to the group and may not be shared outside the writing workshop. This has always been honoured by participants who are each keen for this confidentiality to be maintained.
It is the aim of the tutor[s] to deconstruct and make transparent the writing and publishing processes and industries so that writers have wider access to information from the inside which is not otherwise available in books or up to date in books. This is vital to the success of the workshops.
The writing courses are positive and affirmative and while we may delve into constructive critical feedback this is always based upon constructive criteria which inform and improve the work and can be taken on board or rejected by writers according to their own aims and needs.
We work hard during the workshop but have a lot of fun in the process. Come and meet other people with fascinating projects to share and feel inspired by the sharing.
Writers who have attended these classes worldwide have commented on the open and supportive approach and the sense of satisfaction at finding exciting new approaches to their work and feeling inspired by the other writers as well as the tutor[s].
See: Getting Published: The Inside Story [including experiences from our published authors in their own words] for further information.
We hope this helps answer your queries. Feel free to email us with any further questions relating to the workshops. We look forward to working with you.
Dr. Cathie Dunsford & Dr. Karin Meissenburg