"unfinished work is encouraged here."

You are [i]Right[/i] on the Money.

Just against the tide of old expectations.

There will always be some reviewers come along who are
unaware of some of the groundrules before they start
reviewing. There will always be some who don't know how
to show fair treatment to an unfinished piece.

Hell, there will always be [i]some[/i] reviewers come along who don't
know how to show fair treatment to [i]any[/i] piece of writing.
Just don't let it throw you.

***
I should probably add that fragments are fine as long as they
demonstrate your honest, targeted effort to fulfill the current
homework assignment.

Although I am not Mr.Oven himself but Ms. Lips totally agree with Mr. Vigorous on this matter. Over.

Yes, I think that in the summary, it should include something about how this is a first/second/whatever draft and that it is far/near from completion. That way the reviewer would look at it in that light instead of using the same rating scale as say a published writer.

Also, if you choose to resubmit, please PM/email me (rita@chuckpalahniuk.net) to let us know so that we can remove the initial entry to prevent any confusions! Thanks

(I'll use the Head Method for this.)

Here's a simple fact: Mistakes distract readers.

If you draw all the attention to yourself and your mistakes, you're taking readers' eyes away from your message. The fact that best-selling authors make this look easy shouldn't be encouragement to half-ass your way through it.

Here's a suggestion: Feel free to post stories with a line requesting no reviews, either in the summary or at the top of the text. Feel free to choose having your work read, but not critiqued. People will likely respect your wishes. For that matter, post questions in your summary and ask reviewers for feedback on specific points of your work.

The first rule of Chuckshop is, stop complaining about reviews and take responsibility for your writing.

Reviewers are trying to help you, or they wouldn't put in the time to post reviews and ratings.

Thread after thread, there are posts critiquing people's reviews, condemning "half-assed reviews" and complaining about harsh reviews. If you don't want people's opinions, don't take your work public. Workshops are about feedback. If you want the feedback to be all-positive, form a workshop with your best friends.

The first rule of Chuckshop is, stop complaining about reviews and take responsibility for your writing.

You are the only one who can make you succeed.

Chuck Palahniuk isn't doing this to make everybody feel good. He's trying to teach us something, and open doors for us to learn without "spending thousands of dollars in an MFA program".

He doesn't have to do this for us.

Respect that generosity.

Respect this opportunity.

A writing workshop is a place to learn, to improve, to stretch and accomplish things with your writing. Take a college-level creative writing class and you'll see far more harsh criticism from your peers there than anything posted here. Peer reviews can be vicious. For that matter, consider being judged by professional standards... by the standards Chuck Palahniuk's writing faces. Isn't that most writers wish for? To go pro? To be good? To be published?

I am a professional editor. I can help you improve, but only if you let me. I want to see people succeed. That's my generosity. There are many people here with tons of talent, reviewing stories. You, the writer, are in a position to benefit from them if you choose to do so. That's your opportunity.

How are you going to feel about your writing a year from now at the end of this workshop? I hope that most of us feel like we've gained something from it.

The second rule of Chuckshop is, do not waste the opportunity this affords you. You might not ever see one like it again.

Thanks for the info.

And Oven! You're in the 909? Nice!

p.s. I totally agree con inkwell.

LOL OMG
Oven, Im dyin over your new avatar!

Good to here it.

Thanks for pointing out an issue for us. Maybe some people will consider how short we have to do the homework assignments and adjust their reviews accordingly.

I'd suggest that a writer preface his or her work with a note that it is in progress or otherwise unfinished.

Inkwell, just so you're aware, your two posts here come across as pompous and condecending - meaning many readers will discount your otherwise good advice altogether.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Tuffy the Dump Truck [/i]
[B]I'd suggest that a writer preface his or her work with a note that it is in progress or otherwise unfinished.

Inkwell, just so you're aware, your two posts here come across as pompous and condecending - meaning many readers will discount your otherwise good advice altogether. [/B][/QUOTE]

Point taken

Definitely! More free education. Post it, baby.

inkwell,

Thanks for posting those 17 points on

[URL=http://www.chuckpalahniuk.net/community/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7936]The Art of Critiquing[/URL]

That should prove to be a very usful reference tool for those who
will use it.

. .

!!! UP !!!

We do handle partial works here. Many of my submissions have been sketches and not fleshed out full stories:

The focus of this side is to utilize the techniques. That does not mean the work is acceptable if it is not polished. I've seen work in which the member, only using a sketch of five hundred words, did not even spell check it, nor grammar check it.

Your work will not be taken seriously if it is tattered with laziness.
This is not the lazy side of the workshop. This is the practice side.

A good focus, I think, is that you can not worry about taking chances with your writing. Take those chances, learn from what you read in the essays. Write sketches, short stories, very short stories, write out characters in a restaraunt breaking bread. Try different themes. Once you feel that a work is strong enough and that you have the techniques you want to use down, then go to the Self Side and submit it, spread your wings.

And if you have any questions, please post them.