PowerPoint and Zoom Workshops by Allison Symes

 Image Credit:  Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos.

One positive thing to come from the pandemic was the increasing use of Zoom to enable people to still “meet”.
 
I use Zoom regularly to meet with distant family members and for workshops. One welcome thing I hadn’t expected was being able to run flash fiction workshops for writing groups all over the country. No travel fees and I’m paid. I like this - a lot!

I now run a monthly flash fiction workshop, on different aspects of the craft, for a Christian writing organisation. The members could never meet in person - we live hundreds of miles apart - but Zoom comes to the rescue and it has made it possible for the organisation concerned to offer genre specific writing groups. I think it is a wonderful development.

Zoom has also led to my rediscovering PowerPoint. I used it a lot in the 1990s, moved away, and then returned to it for Zoom workshops as these presentations are great (and easy) to share on screen.

For my workshops I use my PowerPoints as an aid as I always expand on my presentation notes. They are a great way to demonstrate points. They hold attention. Also, they are easy enough to share if you choose to do that.

The PowerPoint version I use is an old one but still suits me fine given I share still images (my own or copyright free, naturally) and text. I also find it is great for setting writing exercises. Easy enough to share an exercise on one slide and then give a worked example on the next one.

I attend a number of Zoom workshops too and it means I am meeting more writers more often. I can join in with US based webinars for a start. Would never get to those in person! 

Most webinars tell you what the UK equivalent time is and I can plan accordingly or I can wait for a recording to be sent to me (most do this if you register) and play it a time which does suit me. I often use the free webinars Book Brush, the graphic design program I use, to help me get better at using the software so Zoom is useful for continuing professional development.

 

The Society of Authors run a number of webinars for members. I have not managed to fit in any of these yet but like the fact they’re offered. I attend online meetings held by the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (I’m a member). Again, this is a great way to share news, invaluable advice, and so on.

Zoom has made things possible then. I think it is at its best when combined with in person events. Why? Simply because I like to make the best of both worlds. 

 

You can’t beat the buzz you get when meeting up with other writers in person yet I know I can’t get to as many in person events as I’d like so the online ones make a great alternative.