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« Notes on Notes, Part 2 | Main | Chekhov Spins in Grave »

Comments

E.C. Henry

Wish I could take your "Writer's Studio" class. Sounds like fun, even with differences of opinion it has to be more rewarding than my current reality, which is the warehouse. In terms of deeping one's craft, and getting creative stimuli, I've found outhouse and warehouse have more in common than just their shared suffix.

In terms of the crux of this post, thanks for the perspective on evalutating feedback through a better understanding of "little hat" syndrome.

Getting "creatives" on the same page with you is a Herculean task, and it sparks my mind to coming up with solutions. To that end, one of the things I've thought of doing is to purposely turning in flawed draft so the reader has discoveries they can make to improve the art. This mindset behind this is, do whatever it takes to get the reader personally vested in the story.

Going beyond the "little hat" sydrome, maybe it's in the writers best interest to give the reader a place to hang their hat. Give them a sence of being a co-creator. Give them the opporunity for a, "Ha! See my suggestions DO have worth, and improve the art. See, the writer does need me."

Anway, what I'm getting at is culivating a healthy sence of creativity that invites others to play in one's sandbox. It boils down to salesmenship; no matter how well you've written, a writer has to get others jazzed about doing the project.

- E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA

MaryAn

Bareheaded. Love it.

Barbara

Hey Mernitman - Another fabulous metaphor that I'm going to steal for my class. Yesterday I did a riff on notes under the notes and orange cones around the manhole (and gave you credit.)Next week in class: little hats!

Alan Smithee

What's that old chestnut? Something about writing being the gig where you have to keep proving your talent over and over again to people who have none? Or to people who can't do it? Something like that anyway. Hats, indeed.

writergurl

Excellent post... hats of to you!

Wish I could take your course, but alas, I'm stuck in Atlanta for the nonce.

writergurl

OFF!

damn IT!

Amy F.

Since I'm pregnant, the only thing I could think while reading this post was "Lookit all da widdle baybeez in hats! So cuuuuute!"

damn hormones.

Ann Wesley Hardin

"a piece of work that works"

That's the heart of it all, isn't it? I remember a painting I did back in high school. I was unhappy with one small section but didn't know how to fix it. My art teacher came by and said "Leave it. It works." And by golly, when I stepped back and viewed the whole, it did.

Another great post, Billy. Thanks!

Brooke

I think you need to borrow the little hat from that boy for your class.

Sorry, that's all I got.

mernitman

Interesting strategy, EC -- but the awful truth is, even when you hand in a project that's perfect, people will have their Little Hat two cents to put in...

MaryAn: Perhaps bareheaded with fleas?

Barbara, always happy to help fill out your syllabus...

Lord, Mr. Smithee, how sad but true.

WriterGurl: "Woa, Atlanta... oh-oh, Atlanta!" (etc.) Are you a Little Feat fan?

Wow, Amy, how great: when's the bundle due?

Ann: Hmmm. Possible post comes to mind on "knowing when to stop"...

Brooke: Excellent idea.


chris soth

Hey -- have a great class. Slay 'em. Know you will. One of our shared students it coming in with a good idea...I won't out him, but enjoy!

Saskia Vogel

What a great anecdote. Little hatting...such a familiar workshop phenom. Now I have a word for it. Thanks!

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