On Event Taste
Learnings from a "failed" workshop
Hi friends,
Last Monday, I hosted the Copy a Classic workshop, which I share more about below. One of my takeaways is that I now do copywork every day. Before a writing session, I’ll choose a passage from a piece of writing I want to emulate and copy it word for word. It’s like stretching before a workout. Try it out yourself!
<3 James Q from Olive Tree Writing Club
On Event Taste
A few weeks ago, I came up with an idea for an event that I knew would be a hit. Copy a Classic, as I called it.
I learned about copywork, a method for learning writing where you copy, word for word, a piece you admire. It teaches you to closely read the text, and you internalize the rhythm, the word choice, and the sentence structure of the piece. It’s a technique used by many writers and artists I admire.
“Wait, I run a writing community; how about I host an event around this!” I told myself. This event’s going to be a banger. I could feel it.
But then last Monday, I was at Fabrik setting up. I checked the Luma to see how many signups.
Only four RSVPs.
By the time the event started, two of them couldn’t make it. So only two people showed up.
Damn.
How was my intuition so off? I wrote a Substack Note to test out demand for this idea and it was warmly received then I shared this concept in person and there was interest and I also just host events that I want to go to and I’d love to go to this.
After some reflection, there are some learnings from this. I don’t think the event concept was the problem. Monday evening at 630pm is hard for folk to make and it overlaps with dinner. Another friend told me the event description wasn’t clear. I passively marketed this, relying on Luma invites and Substack. That’s usually enough for most of our events but not this one.
Still, since this was a new event, I consider this an experiment. Even if it didn’t work out it helps inform my taste.
Every event, whether successful or not, helps calibrate your Event Taste.
Event Taste is the intuitive sense of what events will resonate and become successful. There are two parts to it: 1) understanding people’s desires and 2) understanding how people react to things.
I know some people with a natural, innate ability for what events will work or not. I was not one of them. My Event Taste was honed after hosting 100+ writing events and attending many more in the city.
So while the workshop was “unsuccessful”, it was super intimate, everyone enjoyed the exercises and had good takeaways. I’m now integrating copywork into my daily writing routine because of this workshop.
My close friend once told me that there are no failures; you either win or you learn.
And this time I learned, and my Event Taste improved too.
Writing from the Community 📚
Upcoming Events 📅
✍️ OTWC Summer ‘26: Part VI
Sunday August 16th 10am-1230pm | Verci Flatiron
✍️ OTWC Summer ‘26: Part VII
Sunday August 23rd 10am-1230pm | Verci Flatiron
Hit reply to this email or comment below on Substack to share any thoughts or just to say hi. I’d love to hear from you.
If you’re new to OTWC, you can read these essays to learn more about the community:
How We Started the Olive Tree Writing Club
It’s July 2022. I’ve just landed in LGA from Toronto. One small bag and one big suitcase in hand with everything I own.
Why Everyone Should Write
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Awhh thank you for the shout out James!!!!!! Makes me feel connected to NYC even though I’m away for a bit with family. Sending love!!! And so proud of you for putting this event & learning from it, a win!
Two people is a party!