... the reviewers are assembled
SittingInaCircle,
ready for the review process.
The circle brings the full community in direct
contact with the author and with each other.
It has become common practice to invite observers
to writers workshops: where do they sit?
* * *
Bringing non-authors into
the literal and figurative inner circle might cause
discomfort for the author, and can be contrary to a
SafeSetting.
On the other hand, the WritersWorkshop is a
good learning opportunity for those outside
the literary community, and they should be welcome.
But just because they are in the
room doesn't mean that they are part of
the community of trust. If they are made
part of the circle, they will feel like
participating; yet they don't yet know the
conventions for effective participation.
Excluding them altogether is disengaging.
Therefore:
Arrange the room in two circles. The inner circle
contains the authors and the moderator. The outer
circle, or "gallery," is for non-authors.
Authors that wish to remove themselves from active
participation should also remove themselves to the
outer circle, rather than sitting passively in the
inner circle: The author being reviewed (and the
moderator, representing the author's interest) should
expect participation from all members of the inner circle.
* * *
This pattern strongly recalls
WorkshopComprisesAuthors.
The circle makes it easy for everyone to see
the author eye-to-eye during
AuthorReadsTheWork,
SuggestionsForImprovement,
and
ThankTheAuthor.
All the reviewers can see each other during
the
dialog of
SuggestionsForImprovement.
The outer circle also provides a context for
the
FlyOnTheWall author to retire to
(behind the
AuthorsCircle) as the work is being
reviewed.
NEXT: ReadingJustBeforeReviewing
--
JimCoplien 1996/8/26
[
WritersWorkshopPatterns ]
CategoryPattern