... a group of authors and a moderator are assembled
to review a literary work.  The author is bringing
a work for review, a WorkInProgress, and seeks
help in refining the work.
This group will develop into
a CommunityOfTrust that can serve several authors.
At a conference like PLoP, there are many papers to
review.  How do you best utilize this group?

'''*  *  *'''

'''An effective WritersWorkshop is built on a community'''
'''of trust.'''

Trust is a key ingredient in a SafeSetting for reviews.
One important objective of the WritersWorkshop format is
to guarantee a community of trust, so the author's
dignity is retained.

The author is willing to release unpolished work for
review in this setting, knowing that everyone knows
that it is unfinished work, which implies a different
review perspective than for typical, polished, conference
submissions.

'''However, the review of a single work rarely takes'''
'''longer than an hour, which is not enough time to'''
'''cement long-term relationships.'''

A group of people can develop trust only through many
shared experiences.  If a WritersWorkshop is to provide
a community of trust, it must be together for a period
of time.

The WritersWorkshop reviewers could participate in an
"OutwardBound" exercise to build trust;  this is how the
Hillsiders built their initial community of trust.  However,
there often is no time for such exercises, and such exotic
measures are frowned upon in the mainstream corporate
cultures that patterns mean to serve.

'''Therefore:'''

'''Organize WritersWorkshop''''''s by areas of interest that'''
'''tie together the works of the authors involved.'''
'''The authors/reviewers and gallery should remain with'''
'''the same workshop for the duration of the reviews'''
'''of all authors' works.'''

'''The manuscripts reviewed in the workshop are not'''
'''published outside the workshop in which they are'''
'''reviewed, until the author refines the works and'''
'''offers them for wide publication.'''

'''*  *  *'''

At PLoP, we start to build trust by assigning a
PatternShepherd to help the author prepare his or
her work for the workshop.
The shepherding process helps filter out the most
embarrassing misfits, so that all papers enter the
forum with the benefit of the shepherd's insights
on what makes a good pattern.

'''NEXT:''' ModeratorGuidesTheWorkshop

-- JimCoplien  1996/8/27
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[ WritersWorkshopPatterns ]