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CVS Workshops
Mar. 11th, 2005 09:21 amCVS was enjoyable. It was our first real meeting after two back-to-back events. I officially made the rewrite of that "Going Under" chapter a writing goal, which will either mean it will get done or I'll flake. I'm hopeful for the former. I also suggested the monthly challenge topic, inspired by "Ides of March" and ominous omens and stuff. I usually don't get much out of the workshops, but I enjoyed them this time. For whatever reason, my brain does a massive freeze whenever we do these.
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ariadnesthread did a fun one on POV from the Writing the Wave book by Elizabeth Ayers. We picked someone we didn't know that well and tried three different POVs. One was a third person bare bones description, the infamous laundry list of "6'4" with dark hair and blue eyes", occasionally mixed with personality insights. Then we wrote from their perspective. "Everyone fears me because I'm so tall, but they don't realize how clumsy I am." Then you step really outside the box and write from the perspective of a relative who has passed on to the grave. Are they disappointed in them? "I always knew he would take after his father's side. None of them are under six feet. But they move with grace. He broke my favorite china vase when he was fourteen." Then you also spent some time analysing why you liked writing one POV versus another and what each revealed about their characters. I usually don't like first person for more than short bursts, but I was surprised how easily it came out. The last one was an alien mentality, beyond tut-tutting grandmother into "No good ever came from learning and books". Certain friends will also be proud how mentioned the reliability of each POV and how the right POV can make even the most annoying twit somewhat palatable. Or not, if you really wanted him seen that way.
vadreamer did a second one on dialogue and perspective, a variant on the "He said, she said" type story where you had the same bits of details but both saw it completely different ways. One of our other members had us draw out pictures from a bag and write scenes based on them. They were taken from news magazines so they made for some interesting juxapositions. I wound up with a Islamic man sitting in contemplation and a hospital scene. Not something I would have tried to write on my own, which was part of the point of these exercises. Get outside your creative box and try something.
aireon posted some interesting thoughts on writing by the seat of your pants, rather than hemmed in by an outline. I struggle mightily sometimes to explain how I work to my CVS friends. As I mentioned in my comments, I always feel like I'm doing something wrong, because I don't get it.
ariadnesthread did a fun one on POV from the Writing the Wave book by Elizabeth Ayers. We picked someone we didn't know that well and tried three different POVs. One was a third person bare bones description, the infamous laundry list of "6'4" with dark hair and blue eyes", occasionally mixed with personality insights. Then we wrote from their perspective. "Everyone fears me because I'm so tall, but they don't realize how clumsy I am." Then you step really outside the box and write from the perspective of a relative who has passed on to the grave. Are they disappointed in them? "I always knew he would take after his father's side. None of them are under six feet. But they move with grace. He broke my favorite china vase when he was fourteen." Then you also spent some time analysing why you liked writing one POV versus another and what each revealed about their characters. I usually don't like first person for more than short bursts, but I was surprised how easily it came out. The last one was an alien mentality, beyond tut-tutting grandmother into "No good ever came from learning and books". Certain friends will also be proud how mentioned the reliability of each POV and how the right POV can make even the most annoying twit somewhat palatable. Or not, if you really wanted him seen that way.vadreamer did a second one on dialogue and perspective, a variant on the "He said, she said" type story where you had the same bits of details but both saw it completely different ways. One of our other members had us draw out pictures from a bag and write scenes based on them. They were taken from news magazines so they made for some interesting juxapositions. I wound up with a Islamic man sitting in contemplation and a hospital scene. Not something I would have tried to write on my own, which was part of the point of these exercises. Get outside your creative box and try something. aireon posted some interesting thoughts on writing by the seat of your pants, rather than hemmed in by an outline. I struggle mightily sometimes to explain how I work to my CVS friends. As I mentioned in my comments, I always feel like I'm doing something wrong, because I don't get it.
