So, in class today I had a strange experience.

Some background: In my writing group, we use the 3-2-1 system for giving critiques. We start off our critiques talking about good things. Then, when we're ready to jump into criticism, we start with level 3 comments--meaning comments that are such large problems that you would put the piece down and not pick it back up (if you were a reader), or you would reject it (if you were an editor). When we've gotten through those, we move on to level 2 comments, or things that bothered you, but weren't deal-breakers. Then we move onto level 1--the small things that probably don't matter that much, the copyediting stuff, the little itches you want to talk about but probably don't make a difference in the sale of the piece.

Brandon and I devised this system out of a problem we had with our last writing group. We found that we spent too much time on the little things, so that it was impossible to tell how big a problem was based on how much it was emphasized in group. Big and little problems were discussed the same. I had the original idea for the rating system, and then Brandon and I finetuned it and pitched it to our new group when it formed. It's worked very well so far, I think.

The incident:
Today was the first day of my workshop class. (I got an excellent critique from them today, and look forward very much to the rest of the semester. Yay.) My professor was talking about some different options for running the workshop, and, to my surprise, he began to explain the 3-2-1 system in great detail.

I made that system up. I'd never heard of anyone using it before. I raised my hand to ask where he heard of the system.

"A girl told me about it," he said. "Oh, was it you?"

It took me a while to remember that Dr. Bennion subbed in my workshop class last semester once, and we talked about workshops and he asked me to explain my writing group. That was one of the things I talked about. I'd completely forgotten. I guess he must have liked the idea, because now he's using it for his classes.

Lol. After being workshopped and then being asked to explain my critiquing system to the class, I felt like I was dominating the class a lot more than I'd like to. I worry about that in my workshop classes, because I tend to have more experience with writing and workshops than the average student in the class, so I end up talking a lot. I really hope I don't come off as arrogant.

I am quite flattered by this, though. :) I do have good ideas sometimes after all.