Creative Writing workshop for Management students at Assagao

A Creative Writing Workshop was held by GW member Anita Pinto  for students of the DMC College of Management, Assagao, Goa on 8th October 2016. 20 third-year students participated in this workshop. Anita gives us a report:

The Goa Writers group had decided to have its members hold workshops for students as part of its program to promote writing among the young. On 8^thOctober 2016 I held a Creative Writing Workshop for 20 aspiring third year students of the DMC College of Management, Assagaon, Goa. It turned out to be a learning experience for me.

I began by giving them a check to see if they were right or left brain oriented. I gave them examples of how one can think out of the box. I showed them pictures on slides and asked them to think objectively and subjectively and give me slogans. They understood the concept and gave me examples of their own.

Perhaps I tried to cover too much too fast. I moved straight into the mapping of a story, speaking of genre, character, plot, etc. The students had limitations in their English grammar and this is because most don’t read. I explained it all with the help of a Power Point program map, starting lines, clues, illustrations etc. I then asked them to begin writing their own story.

I invited Alexyz of the Goa Writers group, to show them simple ways to illustrate a story. He did a brilliant job of emotions and Warli Art figures which anyone could do. The result? "Once Upon a Time" stories with school-like tales of bravery and concluded with "the moral of the story is…" I was devastated. Where had I gone wrong? But as I said, it was a learning experience for me.

I took the same students again as a part of my Creative Writing Class I was taking for them as part of their syllabus. I had to SHOW them how to create a story or to create any piece of writing. I sent them for a walk onto the college grounds. When they returned, I gave them a free writing exercise where they wrote nonstop for two minutes without thinking. I then made them underline the words, nouns and verbs that recurred or stood out in their writing. I asked them to analyse the underlined words, gather their thoughts and write only two paragraphs on anything. And what do you know? They came up with some good creative writing, deep, honest and from the heart.

 - Anita Pinto

This was one of a series of ten workshops held by Goa Writers' members, funded by the sales proceeds of the Inside Out anthology.