A Student's Feedback

 Yashica

B.A. Eng Hons final year wrote:

On January 25,2022, a Creative Workshop was organised by the Literary Club of IIHS,KUK by Dr. Jimmy Sharma. The event was commenced  with the message from Respected Principal Sir and Dr.Reeta,HOD(English). The aim of conducting this creative workshop was to guide the students in the world of creative writing. The gripping talk was delivered by Dr. Jimmy Sharma.

To begin with,the teacher introduced the students to a Japenese concept named IKIGAI; IKI meaning life or alive and GAI meaning value/worth/benefit, referring to something that gives a person a sense of purpose, a reason for living.

She further reinforced that story telling is a part of our conscious. Creative Writing is a way to search the soul of composition,it is the inner manifestation of truth (Sundaram),the truth of life expressed in an asthetic way. Writing is part instinct and part 

craft;the craft part can be learnt with practice and teaching skill and techniques of creative writing.

Moreover, she also skimmed through the different genres of literature: fiction, non-fiction, memoir etc.

Learnings

Plan for your creative writing.

READ, OBSERVE, WRITE.

Read more and more.

MARGARET OTWOOD : From listening to the stories of others, we learn to tell our own.

Be present and watch minutely.

Observe everything around you; simple incidents, actions, reactions, small details.

Write what you observe and feel.

Peculiar images form in your mind, smell of a particular place etc.

Use simple and lucid language. A writer writes to express not to impress.

Story can be on various subjects or themes; suspense stories, narrating the challenges on the path of one's aim or writing about disturbed marriage life, delving deep into finding the true meaning of life, its existence, the dilemma,question in human life etc. A writer should involve their readers through the process of communication.

A writer creates a vision for the readers through characters. For example character can have a motivation to achieve something or it could be a covid patient isolated in a room.

Theme should be raw and close to reality.For example: a person seeking redemption for his or her mistakes, about the agonising loss, it makes the stories fascinating in its own way.

Look deep into the story details. For example if scene is placed in a restuarant or public mall; explain its structure, atmosphere etc. Important things should be added to the scenes.

Literary devices can also be used. For example parched leafs, chilly weather juxtapose with the inner feelings of a character or a character cooking in the kitchen on a low flame exhibits his or her inner feelings.

Believe in your imagination or conviction.

A writer expresses the inexpressible, the 

unpredictability of life and he does not answers or preach but let his or her readers Question.

Moreover, he or she should try to create a world which never existed.

Paulo Coelho : If you want to be successful, you must respect one rule - Never lie to yourself.

In addition to, the teacher had introduced the students to HAIKU WRITING, a form of Japanese writing. Earlier, it was written primarily on Nature.A haiku poem does not rhyme.

It has three(3) lines

One(1) line has five(5)syllables

Second line has seven(7) syllables

Third line has five(5) syllables

It has profound message and depicts 

deep ideas or emotions.

Two simple subjects placed in juxtaposition.

These two images are usually separated by punctuation

There are references to seasons as Nature is one of its major theme.

It provides interesting or unexpected perspective.

For example-

The leaf falls gently

floating down towards the ground

crunching under the foot

BASHO SOCIETY  were the pioneer of Haiku writing.

Some of the prominent Haiku writers are:

MATSUO BASHO(1664-1694)

YOSA BUSON(1716-1783)

KOBAYASHI ISSA(1762-1826)

Whatever you can do,or dream you can begin it. Boldness has genius,power and magic in it.

- JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE

The session was thought provoking and illuminating. I would like to thank you ma'am for such a knowledgeable sess