Writeshops

1. Writeshops Paul MundyIndependent specialist in development communication paul@mamud.com www.mamud.com, www.writeshops.org

2. Outline Writeshops Details of the process Adaptations

3. Writeshops • Combines benefits of conference, reporting and team writing

4. Ways to produce information materials • Single author • Small team of writers • Multiple authors who submit manuscripts to an editor • Journalistic reporting • Conference or symposium • Writeshop

5. Information kits Source books How-to manuals Extension materials Case-based texts Policy briefs Training curricula and materials Textbooks Online training courses And why not…? Project design documents Project reports Annual reports Video and audio scripts Scientific articles Types of products

6. Publications produced through writeshops

7. Subject areas • Livestock, veterinary medicine • Sustainable agriculture, agroforestry • Natural resources, environment • Public awareness • Value chains, marketing • Land management, tenure • Rural extension • Policy • Health, family planning • Gender

8. English French Spanish Burmese Indonesian Nepali Sesotho Vietnamese Languages

9. How does it work? 1 Preparation 2 Writeshop 3 Revisions 4 Publish

10. 1 Preparation • Identify audience and objective • Identify broad theme • Identify topics • Select resource persons • Assign topics • Prepare logistics

11. 2 Writeshop Draft 1 • Present • Critique • Edit • Draw • Draft 2 • Present • Critique • Revise • Redraw • Draft 3 • Comments

12. 3 Revisions • Editing • Revise text • Check back with authors • Peer review • Desktop publish

13. 4 Publish • Print • Distribute • Use • Evaluate, follow-up

14. Typical timetable CTA/East Africa Grain Council, Arusha, July 2012 • Monday • Introductions • One or two 1st presentations and comments • 19:00: Welcome dinner • Tuesday • Rest of 1st presentations and comments • Wednesday • (EAGC training plans) • Small groups/writing • Meetings with editor • Thursday • 2nd presentations • (EAGC training curriculum) • Writing, meetings with editor • Friday • (EAGC materials) • Rest of 2nd presentations • Writing, meetings with editor • Close: 12:30

15. Features of a standard writeshop • Long lead-time for planning and logistics • 20–50 participants from different organizations • Participants stay throughout writeshop • Staff: coordinator, facilitators, editors, artists, photocopying, logistics • 5–10 days • In hotel or conference centre • Relatively expensive

16. Writeshop advantages • Fast, efficient, flexible • Write a book in a few days • Document experiences & best practices • Translates science into practice • Easy to understand, illustrations • Involves multiple stakeholders • Scientists, extension, NGOs, farmers, audience members • Wide distribution through multiple institutions • Builds capacity • Helps people write • Promotes networking • Training and info exchange

17. How much does it cost? Cost = about the same as conference or training course, plus publication costs

18. How much does it cost? Top end • 250-page book • 2 weeks • 50 international participants • $150,000 – $200,000 Bottom end • 8-page extension brochure • 2 days • Staff, donated time • $ 0

19. Details of the process Presentations and comments Information exchange Editing and rewriting Information transformation Information generation Small groups

20. Presenter Facilitator Presentations and comments • Like academic peer review • Validate info, expand on it based on own knowledge • Steered by facilitator • Horizontal communication or information exchange Authors

22. Critical, detailed look at draft Convert into form suitable for audience Simplification (or elaboration) Managed by editor Rewriting rather than copyediting Focus on content and structure, not words Information transformation Presenter Artist Editor Editing and rewriting

24. Presenter Artist Editor Presenter Facilitator Two rounds of presentations and editing 1 2 Authors Editing and rewriting Presentations and comments

25. Small groups • Brainstorm new information based on presentations and experience • Often used in analysis or recommendations section • Steered by facilitator • Information generation

27. Presenter Artist Editor Presenter Facilitator 3 processes 1 2 Editing and rewriting Authors Presentations and comments Small groups

28. Sub-plenaries Resource persons Participants as facilitators One presentation No presentations, no comments: writing writeshop Multiple languages No electricity? Piggyback on another event One organization Fewer people, shorter time More spontaneous More than one information product Scoping study before the writeshop Heavy-duty analysis after the writeshop Combine it with training: training writeshop No authors present Adaptations

29. Resource persons • Resource person helps author and editor revise text 1 2

30. One presentation • Reduces time needed • Requires more work after writeshop 1 2

31. No presentation, just comments • People can read faster than they listen • Saves time • Useful for second draft

32. No presentations, no comments Writing clinics • Presentations and participants’ comments may have little value – eg for non-overlapping subject areas 1 2

33. No initial manuscripts • Authors write individually or in small groups • Then present, discuss and edit • Useful where sections are short and have parallel content & structure

34. Multiple languages c  ж ش • Simultaneous interpretation • Consecutive interpretation • Whisper interpretation • Software translation (Google Translate) 1 2 A ?

35. No electricity • Use notepads and flipcharts 1

36. Piggyback on another event Conference Writeshop

37. One organization • Can hold meetings in organization’s own office • Can spread out over long time

38. Fewer people, shorter time, less planning 1 2

39. More than one product 1 2

40. Scoping study before writeshop 1 2

41. Heavy-duty analysis after writeshop 1 2

42. Combine it with training • Lead authors through the writing and editing process • Combine training sessions with work on their drafts • Get them to critique each others’ work

43. No authors present • Review writeshop • Obtain drafts before writeshop • Ask experts in writeshop to review the drafts

44. More information www.writeshops.org A guide to organizing writeshopsGonsalves and Joven 2010 www.mamud.com/writeshops.htm

45. More information IIRR International Institute of Rural Reconstruction • Nairobi, Addis, Philippines • www.iirr.org KIT Royal Tropical Institute • Amsterdam • www.kit.nl

46. More information Julian Gonsalves • Philippines • juliangonsalves@yahoo.com Paul Mundy • Germany • paul@mamud.com, www.writeshops.orgwww.mamud.com

47. Three rules for writeshops • Prepare everything in great detail • Make it up as you go along • Have fun!