Writing The Breakout Novel Workshop: Written Goals?

LieForALiving · Jun 22, 2014

I am going to Donald Maass' Writing The Breakout Novel Weeklong Intensive Workshop in September, and I am supposed to write a "statement of my goals/strengths/weaknesses" for Maass to read beforehand. Has anybody else here attended this workshop, and if so, what kind of goals did you put together? Should I get really in depth or should they be broader things? I'm just not totally sure what to expect from the workshop (besides it being awesome!), and so I am not sure what to write!

EDIT: First off, I want to make it clear I grateful for all responses, as I know they take time and thought to write. I would, however, appreciate it if responses were limited on thoughts as to the best way to complete the pre-workshop homework (preferably from people who actually attended and know first hand how well the way they did it worked). I am very excited about this workshop, and while I realize not everyone loves Maass and that there are surely people out there who did not like the workshop, I would appreciate it if you could save those reviews for another area. I want to remain excited and upbeat, not go into the workshop full of doubts and fears that might limit what I get out of the workshop. I am not asking you to keep silent about your opinions, just humbly asking that you post any negative feelings toward the workshop in the workshop/conference review area rather on this post so that I can continue to look forward to it with excitement and anticipation. Thank you very much, I appreciate your help.

Kerosene · Jun 22, 2014

Write whatever you wish.

blacbird · Jun 22, 2014

Christ, I can't even write the breakIN novel.

caw

DeleyanLee · Jun 23, 2014

A friend of mine went a couple of years ago. She came up with her list by freewriting about her strengths, then her weaknesses for several days and then condensed what the freewriting came up with and sent that it. It seemed to work.

And, please, don't get your hopes up too high for the workshop. My friend said it was the most sobering and disturbing workshop she'd ever attended (she does about 4 a year) and cause her to do some serious rethinking about writing in general. She's told me that it's likely because she went in with such high expectations because it was Maass, and forgot to apply the general filters that all advice needs to go through. (Basically, what is the teacher's angle, and how does that align with my own goals? She discovered that Maass' agenda--easy to market novels with hopefully mass appeal--wasn't the kind of stories she was interested in writing. But because it was Maass and she adored his various books, she got serious messed up about all kinds of things and basically couldn't write for about three years. She's only now testing the waters again and is still having major problems.)

Just be careful with your expectations and what you want out of any workshop.

LieForALiving · Jun 23, 2014

While I do thank you for the advice--I know you are trying to help me and that you took time out of your life to do so--I really prefer to go into any kind of learning environment with positive expectations and excitement, not fear. If a single workshop was enough to make your friend stop writing for three years, I would assume there are some other issues there, perhaps am overwhelming fear of failure or of not being good enough that rose up in response to the admittedly bottom line "this is how ya do it" kind of instruction often seen from Maass.

I really am just looking for advice from people who attended on what they made of the preparation assignments and whether or not the way they did it was helpful for this workshop. That is why I asked advice from former attendees. I know that posting anything online for any reason (especially in forums) is going to reap some sarcastic or downer responses and that it's something you must just deal with, but I am personally very excited about this workshop. I have heard nothing but good reviews, I have always liked Maass' small workshops at conferences, and I really am just looking for a response to my question about how to best prepare.

Once again, I appreciate that any responses are simply trying to be helpful, and I appreciate people putting the time in, but please, I did not actually ask for reviews (especially second hand reviews) partly because I dont care--I have heard enough good to outweigh the bad--and partly because I am not interested in going into a workshop I am very excited about full of doubt and negativity that may hinder improvement-- something I think is very understandable. I just want to know, from people who have attended, how they formatted their goals and if that format worked well in the actual workshop. Perhaps I will email the workshop directly and see what format they suggest.

bearilou · Jun 23, 2014

While I can appreciate that none of the responses helped you with your initial question and agree you might just be best served by contacting them to find out what they want for that part, I still found DeleyanLee's comment useful in a broader sense.

Since the boards are for everyone reading, not just the person asking the question, it was a useful answer.

I'm not sure what I think about having to fill out an application for a writing workshop that has me writing answers to essay questions. :/ I can kind of see how it would be useful for an instructor one-on-one but for a group who's strengths/weaknesses and goals will be varied, I don't see the value for such information. hmmm...

LieForALiving · Jun 23, 2014

It's because we have one on one sessions with Donald Maass, Lorin Oberweger, and several other editors throughout the week. They want to read our work and our goals ahead of time to make the most out of the individual sessions. It's a week long session where we do a group workshop in the mornings and have individual sessions in the afternoons.

Old Hack · Jun 23, 2014

Here's what I would do.

I'd sit down very quickly, right now, and I'd write three or four bullet-points for each category ("goals/strengths/weaknesses") without thinking too much about it. Just a few lines on a single page.

And then I'd set that page aside and I wouldn't look at it for a few days. And before I looked at it again I'd do the same thing, again without thinking too closely about the question; but once I'd written that, I'd write a longer page or seven, probably as freewriting.

And then I'd compare all that I'd written, and see how they compared; and I'd check a couple of Maass's Breakout Novel books and see if he asked those questions in there, and if so I'd see how he defined these things, and what he did with them. And then I'd bear that in mind and rework my previous pieces to make them work.

This is a tool to help you get the most out of the workshop. That's all it is. You should be honest in your responses to his questions: but you should also recognise that you want to get all you can out of your one-to-one with him, and your sessions at the workshop, and write accordingly.

Little Ming · Jun 23, 2014

LieForALiving said:
While I do thank you for the advice--I know you are trying to help me and that you took time out of your life to do so--I really prefer to go into any kind of learning environment with positive expectations and excitement, not fear. If a single workshop was enough to make your friend stop writing for three years, I would assume there are some other issues there, perhaps am overwhelming fear of failure or of not being good enough that rose up in response to the admittedly bottom line "this is how ya do it" kind of instruction often seen from Maass.

I really am just looking for advice from people who attended on what they made of the preparation assignments and whether or not the way they did it was helpful for this workshop. That is why I asked advice from former attendees. I know that posting anything online for any reason (especially in forums) is going to reap some sarcastic or downer responses and that it's something you must just deal with, but I am personally very excited about this workshop. I have heard nothing but good reviews, I have always liked Maass' small workshops at conferences, and I really am just looking for a response to my question about how to best prepare.

Once again, I appreciate that any responses are simply trying to be helpful, and I appreciate people putting the time in, but please, I did not actually ask for reviews (especially second hand reviews) partly because I dont care--I have heard enough good to outweigh the bad--and partly because I am not interested in going into a workshop I am very excited about full of doubt and negativity that may hinder improvement-- something I think is very understandable. I just want to know, from people who have attended, how they formatted their goals and if that format worked well in the actual workshop. Perhaps I will email the workshop directly and see what format they suggest.

One of the wonderful things about threads here is they can evolve and drift and include many different POVs from many different people. Often times, casual readers and lurkers who did not themselves start the specific threads, can still learn a lot because of these many different POVs.

If threads were only focused on telling the OPs what they wanted to hear, AW would be a very boring place.

Dave.C.Robinson · Jun 23, 2014

Little Ming said:
One of the wonderful things about threads here is they can evolve and drift and include many different POVs from many different people. Often times, casual readers and lurkers who did not themselves start the specific threads, can still learn a lot because of these many different POVs.

If threads were only focused on telling the OPs what they wanted to hear, AW would be a very boring place.

While that's all true, there is something to be said for addressing the question that is asked. Sometimes you just need the answer to the question.

bearilou · Jun 23, 2014

LieForALiving said:
It's because we have one on one sessions with Donald Maass, Lorin Oberweger, and several other editors throughout the week. They want to read our work and our goals ahead of time to make the most out of the individual sessions. It's a week long session where we do a group workshop in the mornings and have individual sessions in the afternoons.

Ooooh. That sounds great and makes a little more sense to me now.

WeaselFire · Jun 23, 2014

The request, and writing the statement, are quite simple. In your own words, write down your writing goal(s) as well as any goals you see for the workshop itself. Then put down your personal strengths and weaknesses in accomplishing the goal. Part of the exercise is to make you think about yourself and your career as a writer, so going by what others do is counterproductive. But here's a simple example:

"I am a 35-year-old single woman with no kids and a 9-5 menial job who wants to publish a novel within three years, with prospects for a novel each year following. In my current job I have breaks of 1-2 hours on most days where I can write while waiting for more work, plus I have 2-4 hours per day available outside of work. I have written first drafts of three works of between 60,000 and 120,000 words, but I have a fear of rejection that keeps me from submitting any of this work to agents or publishers. I also have a hard time establishing characters, they all seem rather cardboard when I read the story back."

You can do this in any format you want of course.

Jeff

Writing The Breakout Novel Workshop: Written Goals?

LieForALiving

Dancing with unicorns.

Kerosene

Your Pixie Queen

blacbird

DeleyanLee

Writing Anarchist

LieForALiving

Dancing with unicorns.

bearilou

DenturePunk writer

LieForALiving

Dancing with unicorns.

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman

Little Ming

Dave.C.Robinson

... with the High Command

bearilou

DenturePunk writer

WeaselFire

Benefactor Member