Authors' conference
Encyclopedia
An authors' conference is a type of conference where writers gather to review their written works
and suggest improvements. This process helps an author improve his or her work and learn to be a better writer for future works, both by receiving critique
s of their own work and by mentoring
the work of the other authors.
Unlike most other conference styles, an authors' conference is very participatory. Most conferences are divided into presentation
s, where each presentation has a clear separation of roles between a few presenter
s who speak and an audience of attendees who listen. At an authors' conference, an author does not present his or her work. Rather, the author listens while the other participants discuss the work. In this way, the author gains an understanding of what readers learn by reading the work.
An authors' conference consists of two phases, shepherding and writers' workshops. Shepherding occurs before the conference meeting; the meeting itself is organized as a writers' workshop.
One popular series of authors' conferences is the Pattern Languages of Programming
conferences, held to encourage and assist authors of software design patterns and pattern language
s.
For example: Iowa Writers' Workshop
, Clarion Writers Workshop, Gotham Writers' Workshop
, Milford Writer's Workshop
etc.
Writing
Writing is the representation of language in a textual medium through the use of a set of signs or symbols . It is distinguished from illustration, such as cave drawing and painting, and non-symbolic preservation of language via non-textual media, such as magnetic tape audio.Writing most likely...
and suggest improvements. This process helps an author improve his or her work and learn to be a better writer for future works, both by receiving critique
Critique
Critique is a method of disciplined, systematic analysis of a written or oral discourse. Critique is commonly understood as fault finding and negative judgement, but it can also involve merit recognition, and in the philosophical tradition it also means a methodical practice of doubt...
s of their own work and by mentoring
Mentoring
Mentorship refers to a personal developmental relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps a less experienced or less knowledgeable person....
the work of the other authors.
Unlike most other conference styles, an authors' conference is very participatory. Most conferences are divided into presentation
Presentation
Presentation is the practice of showing and explaining the content of a topic to an audience or learner. Presentations come in nearly as many forms as there are life situations...
s, where each presentation has a clear separation of roles between a few presenter
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
s who speak and an audience of attendees who listen. At an authors' conference, an author does not present his or her work. Rather, the author listens while the other participants discuss the work. In this way, the author gains an understanding of what readers learn by reading the work.
An authors' conference consists of two phases, shepherding and writers' workshops. Shepherding occurs before the conference meeting; the meeting itself is organized as a writers' workshop.
One popular series of authors' conferences is the Pattern Languages of Programming
Pattern Languages of Programming
Pattern Languages of Programs is the name of a group of annual conferences. The purpose of these conferences is to develop and refine the art of software design patterns. Most of the effort focuses on developing a textual presentation of a pattern such that it becomes easy to understand and apply...
conferences, held to encourage and assist authors of software design patterns and pattern language
Pattern language
A pattern language, a term coined by architect Christopher Alexander, is a structured method of describing good design practices within a field of expertise. Advocates of this design approach claim that ordinary people of ordinary intelligence can use it to successfully solve very large, complex...
s.
Shepherding
The shepherding process occurs before the conference meeting. Authors submit papers for the conference, then each paper is assigned to a shepherd, an experienced author who works with the submitter to improve his or her paper. The process often consists of three iterations in as many weeks where the shepherd makes suggestions for improvement and the submitter incorporates the suggestions. This one-on-one mentoring using the submitter's unfinished work as an example is very effective for teaching the submitter how to be a better writer, although its effectiveness is ultimately determined by the participants' dedication and their working relationship. At the end of the shepherding process, the shepherd recommends whether to accept the submission for review at the conference. An accepted submission should meet minimal quality standards for effective evaluation in the writers' workshop, and should have been improved significantly by the submitter during the shepherding process.Writers' Workshop
The writers' workshop process occurs during the conference meeting. The workshop consists of 6-10 sessions, one per submission to be reviewed. The workshop participants are the authors of those submissions and any other reviewers the authors choose to accept. In a session, the authors of the submission listen quietly while the other participants discuss what they liked about the submission and suggest improvements. This gives the authors of the submission insight into what information readers are learning from the work and ideas for improving the work. Reviewers discussing a work are careful to make productive comments, both because the author is listening and because in other sessions that author will become the reviewer and make comments.For example: Iowa Writers' Workshop
Iowa Writers' Workshop
The Program in Creative Writing, more commonly known as the Iowa Writers' Workshop, at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, is a highly regarded graduate-level creative writing program in the United States...
, Clarion Writers Workshop, Gotham Writers' Workshop
Gotham Writers' Workshop
Gotham Writers' Workshop is the U.S.'s largest adult-education writing school. It was founded in New York City in 1993 by writers Jeff Fligelman and David Grae and currently offers courses both in New York and on-line...
, Milford Writer's Workshop
Milford Writer's Workshop
The Milford Writer's Workshop or more properly Milford Writers' Conference is an influential science fiction writer's event founded by Damon Knight among others in the mid-1950s in Milford, Pennsylvania...
etc.
External links
- Pattern Languages of Programming conferences, organized by the Hillside Group
- How PLoP Works by Bobby Woolf
- ploptory - Notes on how the PLoP conferences have been run
- Shepherding Guidelines - From PLoP '98
- "A Pattern Language for Shepherding" (Word, PDF) by Neil B. Harrison
- "How to Hold a Writer's Workshop" -- From PLoP '96
- Writers' Workshop Patterns on the Portland Pattern RepositoryPortland Pattern RepositoryThe Portland Pattern Repository is a repository for computer programming design patterns. It was accompanied by a companion website, WikiWikiWeb, which was the world's first wiki....
- "The Culture of Patterns" by James O. Coplien