Category: Creative Writing Workshops

Season 2 at Anita’s Attic | Week 4

 
Every week Anita’s Attic has a speaker who comes in and talks to the writers about what it is to be a writer, an editor, a bookseller or reviewer. This time Anita’s Attic also had its first book event.

In our fourth week of Season 2, we were delighted and honored to have the much acclaimed writer Anjum Hasan read from her just published novel Cosmopolitans, talk about her journey as a writer and share her insights on the writing process.

Thank you Anjum Hasan.

Season 2 at Anita’s Attic | Week 3

 
Once upon a time writers cut their authorly teeth in magazines. We saw the publishing of our stories, essays and poems in publications as the beginning of a literary career. And then the internet happened and a whole new world opened up. The digital space where you could speak your mind, shape your thoughts and find a platform to launch yourself as a writer.

But how do you create a digital footprint that is followed ? In a universe teeming with Facebook and Twitter users, bloggers and WordPress savants, how do you ensure that your presence is felt ?

Which is where Biju Ebenezer, senior member of my digital partners *conditionsapply stepped in. Sharing tips and techniques on how to navigate the digital space with the Season 2 writers at Anita’s Attic.

Season 2 at Anita’s Attic | Week 2

 
The first writer to visit Anita’s Attic usually sets the tone for the particular season, in this case the 2nd Season of Anita’s Attic Creative Writing & Mentorship program. And who better than the uber talented and highly amusing Zac O’Yeah ?

A travel writer and novelist, Zac O’Yeah has a unique perspective on what it takes to be a writer in India and how to rise above the ordinary and commonplace.

Thank you Zac. We loved having you!

Zac at the Bangalore Lit Fest 2014

And so on Teacher’s Day, Anita’s Attic opened its doors to Season 2

12 writers from different parts of the city. 12 writers whose reason to write and styles have nothing in common. 12 writers seeking to find an expression for their imagination.

It will be exciting to see what each of these writers will do with their time at Anita’s Attic.

It will be interesting to see their voices develop and blossom.

There is nothing more satisfying for a teacher than to realize that her students have absorbed all that she has had to impart.

It was the first Anita’s Attic offsite outside Bangalore for 26 Tata-ites at the Tata Management Training Centre. I didn’t know what to expect in terms of the participants, their level of enthusiasm and how together we were going to make a difference.

Much as organisations want to enhance their employees talents, the bottom line is how would they use these learnings at the workplace. Happily enough, through presentations, Q & A sessions, individual and group assignments, we discovered that they had ample room to use the Anita’s Attic experience in several ways.

As for myself, I discover that I had immense fun sharing my understanding of writing with the group.

Ultimately it is all about this one principle I believe in : if it isn’t fun, I won’t do it!

The Tata Management Training Centre

 It was a batch of 13 participants at the first off-site creative thinking and writing workshop held under the auspices of Anita’s Attic at SAP Labs Bangalore. A baker’s dozen, I thought with a secret laugh. And how appropriate it was for I love baking and writing holds the same inexplicable combination of art and science that makes some better bakers than others.

Over two sessions held over two weeks, I saw the initial hint of skepticism fade. No one can teach another person to write but what is possible is to identify the strength of a writer and mentor it. It gave me an incredible high to see how well the writing exercises seemed to draw out latent abilities and how with each assignment, the confidence and the voice of the writer grew stronger. The queries at the end of each session became more focussed and more pertinent.

Just as the participants I had been unsure on what to expect from this workshop. But I think I learnt from the experience just as much as each one of them did. To draw out the shy and reticent participant to bridle rambunctious creative energy to step in only when I needed to or for most parts let the creative vision follow its own path.

For Anita’s Attic is not about creating an army of clones but is about shaping your creativity and your voice to be your own.

Anita’s Attic conducts its first Off-site Creative Writing Workshop in Bangalore for SAP Labs’ Literati, India’s largest corporate book-club.

Spread over two weekends ( Saturdays ) Anita Nair would conduct the creative writing workshop on campus, for SAP employees. In line with the founding principles of Anita’s Attic of helping “Find The Voice”, this Workshop would also introduce the participants into the writing process, techniques, and discussions, so the participant becomes acquainted with both thought and craft that goes into the creation of a piece of creative writing. This will also enable the participant to understand how exactly to locate the ‘voice’ which is the foundation to a literary pursuit.

We will keep you updated on the Workshop right here, as it happens.