How to Get the Most Out of Your Next Virtual Writing Workshop
Should I take a virtual writing workshop? How to get the most out of Zoom or other virtual writing courses.
Last year, 2020, our COVID year, many of our group celebrations and classes got canceled or moved online—including creative writers workshops and author events.
Those canceled writers events? Now, let’s put them in context. As families are COVID bereaved, as our healthcare and other frontline workers deal with unimaginable stresses and trauma, the privilege of attending a virtual creative workshop or author reading is just that—a privilege.
Still, as we all struggle with the pandemic’s ravages and anxieties, we also struggled to hang on to a few normal pleasures, including getting to generate new writing and connecting with other writers.
Doing what I love: Leading and teaching creative writing workshops
For well over 20 years, I’ve been designing and leading creative and wellness writing workshops. No, scratch that. I’ve been honored, thrilled, tickled pink, jazzed up, snazzed up, revved up and rearing to go when it’s time to lead a workshop.
I don’t know what it is. I just know that a really happy version of myself happens in that (in-person) writing classroom.
Hello, Is that Zoom calling?
Earlier this year, I was scheduled to conduct a hospital-based expressive or wellness writing workshop for a local cancer recovery group. Then, here came our COVID lockdown, and the workshop had to be moved to Zoom.
Confession: This phone-averse kid was petrified. I mean, digital logistics aside, where would that workshop energy go? How well (or not) would the human interactions transmit across an internet connection? What about those unplanned and rich conversations that happen between sessions or during the break?
Oh, and speaking of “the break,” what about the free tea and snacks?
That first Zoom workshop went well—in large part because I had an excellent and gracious host. This summer, two other Zoom workshops followed. Each session was warm and fun and, I hope, instructional.
Still, I knew I had a lot to learn.
Those who teach, learn
So I decided to play student, not teacher. I joined two wonderful Friday Freewrite sessions at the International Women’s Writers Guild. I took a week-long poetry-writing class on Commune. I gleefully joined a second poetry class with The Poet’s House in New York City. With the Pioneer Valley Writers Workshop, where I serve on the faculty, I joined a teach-the-teacher session on how to lead Zoom-based writing workshops. I also took a seminar class with Creative Nonfiction.
Not bad, eh? In retrospect, being a virtual writing student taught me as much (or more) about teaching online workshops than any instructor’s manual.
How to get the most out of an online writing workshop: 5 tips
Prepare for your class: Luckily, all online conference platforms have excellent tutorials on how to use their product, which I recommend taking before you take your workshop. I recommend logging in at least 15 minutes (or more) before the posted class time. This gives you time to check your video quality, clean up your space, check your sound and your headphones. Also, keep your notebook, your pens, your head phones and your water glass ready and within reach. Being prepared makes for a much better class for you and the other participants.
Interact and engage: In smaller workshop groups, simply raise your hand and ask a question or contribute to the on-screen discussion. Or your leader may create small-group break-out “rooms.” Or you can participate in the comments — either one-on-one or with the whole group. Here’s a tip: Be careful not to inadvertently send a one-to-one or private message to the entire group.
Dedicate this learning time: Amid all our pandemic-era worries about next life steps and COVID safety, I needed some dedicated and scheduled creative time. So if you register for a virtual writers workshop, treasure this writing time just for you. Let your roommates or family know that you are not to be disturbed. Silence your other electronic devices and try not to multi-task or catch up on the day job while also learning to write.
Be patient with those techno glitches: Like so many other aspects of our lives, it’s easy to let one faux pas eclipse the larger experience. You may have trouble signing in or getting connected with your class. Or your audio won’t work the first time. Or your workshop leader has a little delay in getting a movie to show or an audio clip to work or a screen to share. In the scheme of things, these are very, very small problems. Be kind. Be generous. Be patient. Once you get going, put these behind you to fully engage with your instructor and peers.
It’s the Internet. So guard your privacy: On Zoom (or another online learning platforms), some of the traditional paradigms change. Plus, if there are in-class writing sessions, you may not be comfortable sharing those with non-registered folks. Is the host recording the session? What steps will your workshop leader take to moderate for respectful and equitable discussions? Before you register or pay for an online writing class, ask about these issues—particularly that recording question. Then, make your final registration decision based on the answer(s).
For some writers and learners, virtual learning and author events are a dream come true. For others, they are, at best, a prosthetic version of the real thing. As a student and a workshop leader, I’ve learned that in-person and virtual learning models each have their benefits and their challenges. So until we can gather together for those break-time treats and tea, let’s work with what we have now and enjoy. Oh, and be kind.
See my online calendar for upcoming virtual writing seminars. Or contact me to inquire about a virtual writing class for your group.