Short Story Intensive: Developing Your Craft with Verena Tay

Wanting to write short stories, but unsure on how to start? Already creating stories, but experiencing difficulties with coming up with viable and interesting content and structure?

This hands-on workshop could be your answer. Over four weeks, you will:

• review what constitutes various elements of fiction (e.g. character, conflict, plot, setting, dialogue, pace, voice);

• examine some short stories by established writers to understand their approaches/styles;

• brainstorm and develop the first draft of a new short story (max. 3000 words long) from scratch using various prompts and exercises; and

• receive feedback from both participants and the facilitator on how to improve this short story.

Special Promotion: Receive 20% off your ticket if you are a past attendee of the Academy in 2021 or when you attend with a friend! Please contact programmes@bookcouncil.sg for the discount code before online registration.

This programme is eligible for SkillsFuture Credit. You can access the link here.

For workshop enquiries, please email programmes@bookcouncil.sg.

Workshop Schedule:

• 19 February 2022, Saturday, 9.30am to 12.30pm
• 26 February 2022, Saturday, 9.30am to 12.30pm
• 5 March 2022, Saturday, 9.30am to 12.30pm
• 12 March 2022, Saturday, 9.30am to 12.30pm

This is an in-person workshop at SBC's Training Room.

For enquiries, please email programmes@bookcouncil.sg

About the Trainer:

A writer, editor, storyteller and theatre practitioner, Verena Tay (www.verenatay.com) has published two collections of short stories (Spaces, 2016; Spectre, 2012) and four volumes of plays. She has also edited twelve story anthologies, including the bestselling Balik Kampung series published by Math Paper Press. She has conducted numerous creative writing workshops for Singapore Book Council (and its predecessor, National Book Development Council), National Library Board, The Arts House, Creative Arts Programme (Ministry of Education) and other institutions. Currently, she is writing her first novel as part of her PhD studies in Creative Writing with Swansea University.

Cancellation:

The workshop can be cancelled or postponed two weeks before the workshop date if the minimum number of participants is not met.

Participants who are unable to attend a workshop they have registered for are to inform us of the reason two weeks before the workshop date. They will be fully refunded in the event of extenuating and mitigating circumstances (E.g. illness, bereavement, accidents) . Those who inform us up to 5 working days before the workshop date will receive a 50% refund. Those who did not turn up at the workshop will not receive a refund.

Upon registration, you are deemed to have read and understood the terms and conditions and cancellation policy and accept the terms contained therein.