Some Frequently Asked Questions about the Dargon Project Writers' Workshop (DPWW)
- Q. What is the DPWW?
- Q. Why does the DPWW exist?
- Q. What is meant by "aspiring writer"?
- Q. How does the DPWW work?
- Q. Why should I join the DPWW?
- Q. What level of writing experience or ability do I need to join?
- Q. What does it cost to join?
- Q. What is expected of members of the DPWW?
- Q. What is meant by a "constructive critique"?
- Q. How will doing constructive critiques help improve my writing?
- Q. What resources are available to me?
- Q. What happens when I join the DPWW?
- Q. What is the purpose of having a mentor?
- Q. Am I required to have a mentor?
- Q. What kind of stories can I submit to the DPWW?
- Q. Will the DPWW publish my stories?
- Q. Are there any restrictions on publishing my stories elsewhere?
- Q. How can I find out more about the Dargon Project?
- Q. How can I find out more about the shared world of the Dargon Project?
A. The DPWW is the part of the Dargon Project that is dedicated to helping aspiring writers regardless of their current writing ability or their desire to be published in DargonZine, the ezine where we publish stories set in our shared world. The DPWW is essentially a peer review group, where writers may submit their work for feedback from their peers.
A. The Dargon Project has two goals. One is to help aspiring writers develop their writing skills. The other is to publish stories set in Dargon's shared world. In the early days of the project, when the shared world was still being established, those goals were well aligned. The shared world was a convenient place to publish stories by aspiring writers. Recently, though, we realized that the shared world had actually become a barrier to new writers. The 20+ years worth of fiction set in our shared world was too much for a new writer to digest. Further, the quality of the writing in DargonZine has improved through the years, and not every writer is interested in writing in a low fantasy setting. It was too much to ask our new members to not only work on their writing skills, but to do it in a specific sub-sub-genre with a massive history.
Rather than changing our standards for publication or eliminating our shared world, we decided to launch the DPWW, a place where writers of any skill can come and submit work from any genre of fiction. It is our hope that some will decide to come write stories set in the shared world, but we hope to benefit everyone who joins the Workshop.
Q. What is meant by "aspiring writer"?
A. An aspiring writer is someone who actively pursues the craft of writing, who wants to share their writing with others, and who values receiving critiques of their stories. An aspiring writer is not finished developing as a writer. He or she is willing to learn from constructive feedback in order to improve as a writer.
A. It's really quite simple. When you become a member, you gain access to the Workshop, which contains our ever-growing list of writing resources, and you are added to the DPWW mailing list. Members of the group post stories to the list for other members to review and provide feedback. In addition, there are list discussions on various aspects of writing, and frequent writing exercises to challenge your skill.
Q. Why should I join the DPWW?
A. If you are an aspiring writer, you should join in order to improve your writing skills, and to help others do the same.
Q. What level of writing experience or ability do I need to join?
A. There is no minimum level of writing experience or ability to join.
A. There is no cost to join the DPWW. However, there are some expectations of members.
Q. What is expected of members of the DPWW?
A. There are a number of expectations of the members of the DPWW, although none are particularly difficult. The first and most important is to be an aspiring writer. If you are not open to receiving constructive critiques of your writing and using that feedback to improve, you are probably in the wrong place. You also must be willing to provide constructive critiques to your fellow writers as well. That will not only return the favor for the feedback you receive on your own work, but it will also help improve your own writing in a number of ways. Apart from that, all we ask from members is to keep the tone on the list polite and friendly.
Q. What is meant by a "constructive critique"?
A. A constructive critique is feedback on a writer's story that is intended to help improve the story, the writer's skills, or both. The feedback will range from very general comments to very specific points. The important things to keep in mind when providing a critique are to critique the writing, not the writer, and to always ensure that comments are helpful and friendly, and not derogatory or insulting. In addition, it is a good idea to know what you are talking about before you provide feedback on someone else's grammar (e.g., if you aren't sure if the right word choice was "lie" or "lay", look it up). The important thing to consider when receiving a critique is that it is intended to improve your writing, not simply praise it. For more detail, see the DPWW critique guidelines.
Q. How will doing constructive critiques help improve my writing?
A. It will help in a number of ways. First, it will get you thinking about the various aspects of writing. If you notice in someone else's story that you have no idea when or where the action is taking place, those observations may help you to know whether or not you have effectively created the setting in your own stories. Doing critiques will also help you with the mechanics of writing, because you will want to check your comments before you critique someone's grammar or punctuation. You can transfer that learning to your own writing as well.
Q. What resources are available to me?
A. The most important resource available to you is the group of writers that you will be joining. Many of them have years of experience writing fiction and have studied the finer points of grammar and story construction. In addition, the DPWW has an ever-growing collection of white papers on various writing topics.
Q. What happens when I join the DPWW?
A. When you join, you will be given a user id and password that will give you access to the DPWW resources. You will be added to the DPWW mailing list, and start receiving email from the group. You will also be assigned a mentor from the group.
Q. What is the purpose of having a mentor?
A. The purpose of the mentor is to help you learn your way around the DPWW, and to give you advice on how to interact with the group. The mentor provides you with a safe, off-list person whom you can ask questions of without fear of looking foolish.
Q. Am I required to have a mentor?
A. Yes. Granted, not everyone needs a safe off-list person to speak to, and you may not need to ask your mentor for much advice. However, it is also your mentor's job to make sure that you aren't unknowingly having the wrong tone in your critiques or list emails, such as writing a critique that the recipient might find insulting.
Q. What kind of stories can I submit to the DPWW?
A. There are no restrictions on the types of stories you may submit.
Q. Will the DPWW publish my stories?
A. No. Stories submitted to the Workshop will not be published. DargonZine, the project's publication, only publishes stories set in the Dargon Project's shared world. You are welcome, but not required, to submit stories for the shared world in the DPWW and later submit them for publication in DargonZine. It's important to understand that those stories will undergo further critiques that will include fit in the shared world.
Q. Are there any restrictions on publishing my stories elsewhere?
A. Yes, but not many. If elements of Dargon's shared world are included in your story, those elements must be removed or replaced prior to publication elsewhere. Also, if you co-write anything with other writers in the DPWW (for instance, as part of a writing exercise), you will need to share credit or get permission as appropriate. Other than that, you are welcome, even encouraged, to have stories that you have submitted to the Workshop published elsewhere.
Q. How can I find out more about the Dargon Project?
A. By following this link: About DZ.
Q. How can I find out more about the shared world of the Dargon Project?
A. By following this link: About Dargon.