Tayari's Blog: The Mentoring Campsite Rules
Posted by TayariJones on May 12, 2008 07:59 AM
Filed under
The Writing Life
I must confess that I love reading Dan Savage's advice column. I read it on line and I also listen the "Savage Lovecast." Great stuff. I never post about it here because, well, it's not that type of blog! However, here is an exception.
I was checking out the column today, and he referred to the "campsite rule." He meant it in reference to dating much younger people. The Campsite Rule is that you have to leave them in better shape than you found them. I nodded in agreement, as that seems like a pretty reasonable boundary.
Then, I thought that the same should be true for writing mentors and workshop leaders. I have seen people just broken down in workshop by a cruel workshop leader. I have seen people get critiques of thier work that leave them never wanting to write again. These mentors/leaders have broken The Campsite Rules.
My beloved RC always obeyed TCR. I couldn't quite understand it when I was a student. There was once this guy in our workshop who was TERRIBLE. He wasn't in the program; he was more of a gate-crasher. His work was some of the worst I have seen to date. You should have seen the eye-rollling from those of us In The Program. And even worse from those of us With Aid. But RC lead the dicussion and even silenced the student who was prepared to go through line by line pointing out cliches.
I went to RC's office after class, as I was prone to do. He was such a wonderful teacher that I wanted to get all the face time I could without crossing the line over into stalking territory. I asked him why he didn't tell that guy how terrible he was. RC shrugged and said, "Why?" He then explained that the goal of the creative writing class is to get everyone jazzed to revise. "I am not in the business of getting anyone to quit."
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There are 5 comments on "The Mentoring Campsite Rules". If you'd like to leave a comment, click here to jump down to the comments entry form.
Comment #1, by Michael Fischer ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.tayarijones.com/blog/nav-commenters.gif)
I've never taught CW, but I also think (based on my experiences as a student) that a workshop can teach students to love reading, or at least read literature in a different way than found in theory-laden classes...so even if a student never publishes, he/she still has a lot to potentially gain, thanks to the workshop environment.
May 12, 2008 09:55 AM
Comment #2, by Ladylee
Well, I happened upon a workshop that I enjoy for the most part, and I re-enroll every quarter. My only complaints are that there needs to be a tad bit more, uh, diversity (yeah, that's a good way to put it) and I better not even think about turning in anything that will remotely fall into any genre category (yeah, got in a bit of trouble for that). If I could have those two complaints taken care of, it would be heaven! But the benefits FAR outweigh any complaints, that's for sure.
I like the instructor. She is very thorough, and every time I read, I come away with one to two pages of critique comments from the class that get me "jazzed" to go revise. I've gotten past quite a few sticky places in my writing in the workshop. I must admit that it took a bit of courage to take the workshop, but it forces me to stay on one particular piece at a time (you know how I love to jump around). I was a novice coming into a group who has ran together for years, and I didn't know if I would have to throw a heckler into a headlock out in the parking lot after class, lol. Luckily, I haven't had to (You know I'd do it, lol). I've learned to appreciate different writing styles, and I must admit, my reading choices have widened considerably.
For myself, I need the experience revising. For some reason, we think you writers write one draft from start to finish... no corrections, no second thought, nothing. I have truly learned that's not the case. Yes, it does still irritate me a bit, but I'm getting better!
May 12, 2008 12:00 PM
Comment #3, by Tayari Jones
Ladylee, what do you mean "YOU writers". You mean "WE writers"!
May 12, 2008 01:55 PM
Comment #4, by Ladylee
Stop playing! YOU know what I mean, Miss Celie!
correction: You "published" writers!!
(Although I have put out a couple of scientific papers this year, so...)
No, no, no! YOU know what I mean. I haven't crossed that "creative" river yet!
But give me a minute. I'm in the boat, I have the paddles in my hands, and water is allll around me. I will get there soon enough, Celie! :)
May 12, 2008 02:13 PM
Comment #5, by Michael Fischer
Alright, I have two questions for you experienced CW teachers; I’ve taught comp before (too damn much comp, ugh), but will finally be teaching CW as a TA this fall for the first time. It’ll be a FR/SO level CW class, so I’ll be teaching beginners. Here are my questions for the experienced CW teachers…
1) Is it hard for you to remain patient at times? For instance, looking back at my undergrad years in CW classes, I CRINGE when thinking about some of the antics I pulled, like turning in stories labeled as “flash fiction” because I was too lazy to write a fully fleshed story, or, like cornering one of my profs after class every day to talk about John Gardner’s “moral fiction.” I was convinced, then, that experimental or post modern forms of fiction were bad, because John Gardner had said so! Where did I get off coming across like such a know-it-all at such a young age, while being woefully under-read? I’m grateful that my teachers were patient with me, though, and I’m glad they didn’t bop me over the head, as I surely would like to bop my former undergrad self over the head to this day. Though, I must admit, I'm glad these profs treated me with kid gloves and allowed me to learn the errors of my ways on my own, rather than killing my passion and confidence with one thwack to the head.
2) Ladylee mentioned “genre”…this is something I’ve been thinking about as well as I’ve begun to design my syllabus. On the one hand, I want to have some kind of disclaimer about only allowing “literary” fiction, but only because that’s what I know best—I really can’t help someone with horror or thriller. On the other hand, I don’t want to come off like a snob or limit my students at such an early stage.
Thoughts?
May 12, 2008 02:46 PM