Last updated 12/19/07
Study Guide for Practically Shameless in Writer's Groups
How to use this study guide
The purpose of this study guide is to stimulate discussion, to help group members learn from each other's insights and experience. Some things to keep in mind:
- This study guide offers a variety of topics and questions, to help your group find something of interest, since every group is different. Don't expect to use all the topics offered.
- There is no "right" or "wrong" answer to any question. Discussion will be most rewarding when all ideas and perspectives are made welcome.
- Allow enough time for every group member to share. Don't force anyone to share who doesn't want to.
- If the group is large enough that there's insufficient time for each member to share, consider breaking into smaller groups for discussion. Then return to the whole group with a representative of each small group summarizing its discussion for the whole.
- Some groups will feel more comfortable discussing personal issues than others. Don't try to force a more personal discussion than group members are comfortable with.
- You may want to ask group members to offer their own topics and questions.
Section / Some choices of topics and questions
Before starting / Answering these questions before you begin reading the bookmay help you assess the book's impact on your thoughts about shame and the shadow.
What are your expectations of a book with this title?
What associations do you have with the word "shameless"?
What are your thoughts about shame? What have you written about shame?
What have you heard about the shadow or read previously?
Have you heard of Shadow Work? If yes, what do you think about it?
Foreword / The Foreword's author, Cliff Barry, talks about fear. What role does fear play in your life as a writer? How has fear been a topic in your writing?
Chapter 1
Inside My Box / The author describes feeling afraid in a group of friends. Reflect on times when you have felt the same. Did your experience affect how you reacted to others who were feeling a similar fear?
The author describes editing and re-editing a poem until it dies. Relate similar experiences you've had.
The author planned to write a biography of Thomas Paine and then decided she wasn't capable of doing it. When have you felt incapable of writing something?
Reflect on your own experienceswith writer's block. What methods have you found to combat it? What have you learned about yourself through dealing with it?
Section / Some choices of topics and questions
Chapter 2
Calls for Help / Alyce has an emotional reaction the first time she puts "writer" on her income tax form. What does your identity as a writer mean to you?
Alyce remarks that when she was a technical writer, she didn't think technical writing was creative. What do you think about that?
What aspects of Alyce's life in 1995 do you most resonate with? Least?Do you find her a sympathetic character? Is she more sympathetic at some times than at others?
Chapter 3
The Walls Emerge / Alyce describes four parts of the self, which she likens to King Arthur, Merlin, Lancelot and Guinevere. With which of these do you most resonate? Least?
What did you experience as you read Alyce's account of playing an angel?What experiences have you had where you "played the angel" in someone's life?
When she speaks in the workshop, Alyce feels as if there are lights and cameras trained on her face. Reflect on times when you've felt that way. What have you written about that experience?
Alyce describes four kinds of shame: fleeing in fear, feeling not okay, feeling powerless, and longing sadly for someone who's leaving. Which of these are familiar to you? With which one do you most resonate? Least?
Chapter 4
Bouncing Off the Walls / In what ways do you identify with Alyce's experience of bouncing off the walls?
Which of the four walls – thecontemptuous Editor, the angry coach, the crying child, or the becalmed sailor – doyou most resonate with? Least?
"Thinking outside the box" is defined as flipping into the mirror opposite of a habitual strategy. What do you think of this explanation? If you have a different experience of "thinking outside the box," what's it like?
Chapter 5
Reasons for a Box / Alyce mentions her father's war trauma. Did anyone you know have a similar experience? If yes, what do you think its impact was on their family life?
What have you written about your family? What was it like to write about people you know well? Have you shared what you wrote with your family members? If yes, how did they react?
Section / Some choices of topics and questions
Chapter 6
Dad's OwnBox / What do you think of Alyce's father? How is he similar/different from your own father?
What have you written about your father? Your mother?
What was your family's view of creativity?Were you encouraged to write?
What opinions did your family have about "writers"? What do your family members think today about you being a writer?
Chapter 7
Motivation to Change / (Those who are parents) Alyce saw herself passing her behavior patterns on to her daughter. When have you noticed your child behaving as you behave? What have you written about your children?
(Those who aren't parents) Which of your habitual behaviors remind you of someone in your family? What have you written about it?
Who else in your family is a writer? What have you shared about your own writing with that family member? What was that like?
Chapter 8
Kittens in a Litter / In this chapter, Alyce's inner play features a bully and a young child stifling herself. Discuss the theme of self-expression versus self-stifling.Do you think writer's block is a form of self-stifling?
What role does anger play in your writing? What do you think of writers who create angry characters? Of writers who "speak truth to power"?
What did you experience as you read about the anger process Alyce does?
What do you think of her image of four portals to her potential?How does this image differ from your idea of archetypes?
Chapter 9
Finding Support / Alyce describes hearing a voice saying she is not alone. What do you think of her experience? What experiences have you had that may be difficult for others to believe?What have you written about it?
Alyce faced a risk in accepting support: that it might go away again and she might give up hope. Do you resonate with her fear of giving up hope? What role does hope play in your writing?
In this chapter, Alyce finds support. Who has been supportive of your writing? Who has not? How do you think writers can most effectively support each other? What people do you find it easiest to talk to about writing? Hardest?
Section / Some choices of topics and questions
Chapter 10
Facing the Editor / Do you remember any of the dreams you had as a child? If yes, what do you think about them now? What have you written about them?
Alyce expresses a desire to be more creative. In what ways would you like to be more creative?
In what ways do you identify with Alyce having an Editor that "holds all the power"? In what ways do you feel in control as a writer? Not in control?
Chapter 11
Enter the Risk Manager / Alyce describes her power to be creative as imprisoned by the Editor. What parts of you feel like prisoners? What have you written on the theme of imprisonment? On the theme of being creative?
When Alyce's group discussed her process afterward, a man who was a chiropractor said he used the Editor's knack for spotting vertebrae that were out of alignment. What do you think about that? Reflect on times when you spotted a problem in your writing or in someone else's. When have you seen people spotting problems in ways that were beneficial?
Chapter 12
A Way of Loving / Alyce's daughter is dissatisfied with her painting. When have you been dissatisfied with your writing? How have you expressed that dissatisfaction to others? What kinds of reaction did you get? Which reactions were helpful and which were not?
(Those who are parents.) When have you praised your child's creative effort while being aware of its imperfection? When was it difficult to offer praise?
(Those who aren't parents.) When have you praised another writer's work while being aware of its imperfections? When have you found it difficult to offer praise?
Reflect on times when someone praised your writing. Did the praise sound sincere? If no, what might that person have said differently?
Alyce avoids looking at an issue, first by raking leaves and then by falling asleep. When have you avoided writing? What risks do you associate with writing?
Section / Some choices of topics and questions
Chapter 13
Paradise Lost / Alyce describes a walk in the snow with her father. What special stories do you have about holidays as a child? Which ones have you written about?
What do you think about Alyce's father criticizing her drawing? What part of this incident do you most resonate with? Least?
Alyce describes the four parts of herself before and after the incident. What parts of you have been affected by criticism? How has your writing been affected by criticism?
Chapter 14
Choosing a Strategy / Do you think you have a protective self like the Risk Manager? If yes, what sorts of things might your Risk Manager have protected you from?
Alyce describes opposing strategies that alternate in an endless loop. In what ways do you relate to this description?When have you seen opposites like this in your writing, for example, in writing a lot versus hardly writing at all?
How has writing been a good strategy for you? How has it been a difficult strategy?
Chapter 15
A Memorial to Dad / Alyce describes stepping into the role of her father and speaking as if she were him. What might it be like for you to step into your father in this way? Your mother? How might you use your father or mother as a character in your writing?
Alyce held onto the box as a way of loving her father. What's your opinion? Discuss the theme of holding onto patterns of behavior as a way of loving. What behaviors of yours might be ways of loving somebody?
This process is about letting go of a pattern that no longer works for you. What patterns would you like to let go of? What have you written about letting go? What about your writing would you like to let go of?
Section / Some choices of topics and questions
Chapter 16
Memorial to the Artist / How do you think writing is similar to the visual arts? How different?
How much "air time" does your writing have in your life? When have you wanted to spend more/less time writing?
On page 144, Alyce describes being "in labor" with her writing. In what ways do you identify with that? In what ways is your experience different?
Alyce's Editor is renamed her Inner Critic. Do you have an Inner critic? If yes, what do you think about your Inner Critic becoming an ally?
What gifts have you received from writing? What gifts has your writing given to others?
Chapter 17
Hiding the Box / Alyce expresses herself as a writer and facilitator. In what ways do you express yourself? What kinds of self-expression do you find most rewarding? Least rewarding?
What people have you known like Stewart who don't stand up for themselves? Discuss self-respect as you see it in yourself and others.How is your self-respect reflected in your writing?
What was your experience as you read Alyce's conversation with Stewart? What do you think of the change in Stewart's demeanor?
Chapter 18
What Honoring Does / How has resistance played a role in your life as a writer? What have you written about resistance in yourself or in a character?
In what ways do you resonate with the relationship between Stewart and his Risk Manager? In what ways is it different from your experience?
Chapter 19
Honoring Your Risk Manager / (Those who do the exercise and want to discuss it.) Discuss your experience of doing the exercise. What was easy about the exercise? What was difficult? What felt different after doing the exercise?
(Those who do the exercise and don't want to discuss it.) If you wish, discuss your experience of choosing not to talk about it. What was easy about your choice? What was difficult? When have you felt pressured to talk about something when you didn't want to?
(Those who choose not to do the exercise.) Discuss your experience of choosing not to do the exercise. What was easy about your choice? What was difficult? In what ways is this a new experience for you to "say no" to something? In what ways is it familiar?
Section / Some choices of topics and questions
Chapter 20
Practically Shameless / This chapter concludes Alyce's personal story. What about her story inspires you? What disappoints you? What do you think about her using a personal story to explain certain concepts? What's been your experience writing personal stories?
Alyce names several animal totems. When have you imagined yourself or dreamed of yourself as a particular animal or bird? What have you written about it? When have you found yourself referring to animals or birds to illustrate a point?
Discuss the role of spirituality in your writing.
Howhas this book affected your view of human personality? How has it affected your writing about people?
Appendix / Discuss one or more of the boxes described, either in fictional characters or in people you know:
Predator and Prey – e.g., in horror films
Dogmatic and Scattered – e.g., in TV sitcoms
Grandstanding and Shrinking Violet – e.g., in stories about superheroes
Zealot and Apathetic – e.g., in A Christmas Carol
Wanton and Diehard – e.g., in stories about sailors and cowboys
Overwrought and Stoic – e.g., in romantic dramas and comedies
Bully and Victim – e.g., in crime and war stories
Hothead and Pushover – e.g., in martial arts movies
Which boxes are easiest for you to think of as good strategies? Hardest?
After finishing / What do you think of the book's title now? Of the word "shameless"?
What do you think now about shame? Shadow? Shadow Work?
How would you summarize Practically Shameless?
Practically Shameless has been described as a revealing book about its author. When has your writing revealed you as a person? In what ways has reading this book affected how you reveal yourself in your writing?
How has reading Practically Shameless affected your writing? Your thoughts about writing or yourself as a writer?