“The structure of ‘The Short Story’ workshop brought me closer to the reality of the writing process. We had a good step-by-step list to refer to if needed, plus techniques for writing from different points of view. Writing a story in such a short time kept me focused. It felt great to get to the core of it. Much appreciated!”
Elena, November 22, 2015
“The workshop was really, really good for me. I loved that the instructor offered both very strong encouragement (emotional support) and loads of knowledge (intellectual support). It was a great fun. I think I was also lucky with the group: the people were nice and very interesting. I loved the multi-cultural backgrounds.”
Jana, November 22, 2015
“I enjoyed the workshop very much. What I learned was: a lot. The instructor’s approach to teaching is very inspiring. She’s able to give a lot of information in a humorous and exciting way. It was very upbeat, positive and invigorating. I liked how she got us all to use our brains to think about what we were hearing (in finished stories) and to point out other comments to each writer that may not have been verbalized by the writers. (more…)
CP, November 22, 2015
“I learned that starting from handwriting is way more inspiring than starting from an empty Google Docs page. And the story we read was a good model for character development.”
Paolo, April 19, 2015
“Most important for me was acquiring the names for specific writing techniques. This was the first time ever writing short fiction in English. Previously, I had only translated more technical texts into English. So, the workshop was a good starting point.”
Pedro, April 19, 2015
“More than anything, this workshop was about discovery for me. I discovered I am very language-driven in my writing, that I am more intuitive than planful, and that it really does help to combine the two. I was not sure I was a story teller, I felt I had some writing ability but wasn’t sure I could write a story from beginning to end. Now I know I can.
How did it feel to write a story overnight? Stressful. Having said that, had we not been given a deadline and a word count, I might not have pushed myself to finish the story.
Thank you. As far as first workshop experiences go, it was just what I needed.”
Debbie, April 19, 2015
“I learned how to engage with a particular idea and take it further than a fleeting thought. It also helped to have parameters and an intelligent set of questions to work with. During moments when I got stuck, I referred to my notes, and I found the questions that would get me ‘unstuck,’ so to speak.
It was really inspiring to work with a piece from an author who is so completely in control of her story. I was very conscious of the author not wasting a single word, deliberating the importance and weight that each word should have. (more…)
VM, April 19, 2015
“I learned that if you want to generate good material you have to generate a lot of material. This is actually good for me, because it fits with the way I work in general, and the way I design, in particular.
I loved being given a set of ‘steps’ for writing a short story. I liked having a methodological framework that makes me feel secure. It made me see that here, as well, it’s a matter of time—and sweat. There are no exceptions, even for the ‘good’ writers. (more…)
Ismael, April 19, 2015