... the reviewers have read the work
(ReadingJustBeforeReviewing) and now the
review process begins.  It's important to
get to know the author a bit, to make them
feel like a person, not an object being
reviewed.  To that end, we start with
AuthorReadsTheWork.

'''*  *  *'''

'''It is difficult to know what's going on inside'''
'''authors' heads unless they are given an'''
'''opportunity to speak.'''

The goal of a writer's workshop is to improve the
work while preserving the author's dignity.
To appreciate the need to be sensitive to the
author and his or her feelings, we want to get to
know them a bit.

'''But if authors speak when they most want to'''
'''during the feedback, it stifles and throttles'''
'''the feedback process.'''

And we foresee the pattern FlyOnTheWall that
derives from this force.

'''An author brings a rich constellation of'''
'''insights, experiences, and stories,'''
'''some subset of which have been captured in'''
'''pattern form, but many of which remain in'''
'''the author's head.'''

Patterns attempt to capture that knowledge,
so that the reader can re-create the experience
of the expert that led him or her to appreciate the pattern.

'''If authors extemporates while reading their'''
'''patterns, we gain additional insight.'''

People love to hear stories, and some people love to
tell stories.  Most authors can tell many stories that
led them to recognize the pattern they describe, though
the pattern itself doesn't capture most of that folklore
(for sake of compression and conciseness).

'''But a pattern must stand on its own.'''
One should be able to understand and use a pattern
on its own merits, without the support of
author interpretation.

Patterns form a broadly disseminated body of literature
that helps readers develop some of the expert's insights,
which relieves the expert from having to be everywhere
at once.  Readers shouldn't depend on first-hand
interpretation from the author, because the author won't
always be accessible to the reader.

'''By letting authors read a selection of their'''
'''choice, the reviewers are afforded insight into'''
'''the authors' priorities for what is important,'''
'''for what is beautiful, for what they are proud of.'''

'''Therefore:'''

'''The author stands and reads a selection of'''
'''his or her choice.'''
'''The author may read only the material that'''
'''is available, verbatim, to the reviewers.'''

By letting authors read their works we recognize
their presence and welcome them to the forum.

Authors may read any selection they like.
The section should be short enough to not
bore the audience.

'''We can hear the voice that inside the author's'''
'''head , the internal dialogue, behind the pattern.'''

'''*  *  *'''

The goal is to convey what is important to and about
the author;  the reviewers have already read the
pattern, so they know its content.  If even the
inflection of the author's voice conveys interpretation,
the reviewers should be on guard that the pattern can
be improved to capture the importance of such an inflection.

AuthorReadsTheWork also serves as a formal beginning to
the session, to help the reviewers become mentally centered
and fully present.

That the author stands here anticipates the balanced
response of ThankTheAuthor.

'''NEXT:''' FlyOnTheWall

-- JimCoplien 1996/8/26
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[ WritersWorkshopPatterns ]
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CategoryPattern