Two weekends ago I attended a novel writing masterclass organised by Writing The City a project of the British Council taught by Jean McNeil and Julia Bell. It was held at the Arts House one of my favourite places in Singapore and its the first time in a long while that Ive sat down and given my fiction writing 100 of my attention without drifting off to check tumblr do other things.

Like the procrastinator I am its taken me more than a week to get around to writing this at which point Ive mostly forgotten what Ive wanted to say Whoops. It was a fantastic three days I have to say. We went over concepts that should be familiar to anybody whos been writing for a stretch of time Character point of view time and narrative Yet as a developing writer you can never discuss and explore these topics enough. We had themed writing exercises every day and we got to share our work with each other. It was a small class about 1415 people so we all got several chances to read our own work. I even read them Google Car At The End Of The World. Although I didnt read them the title because spoilers. At the end of the class one of my classmates came up to me and said I liked your story about the car. I had to ask which one The tragedy of being me.

Quite honestly I think the most valuable lesson I learned from this is that I not as slow a writer as Ive feared myself to be. Under conditions of duress I am able to put my nose to the grind and churn out writing and not just that but writing which actually satisfies me.

Maybe just maybe I wont die a terrifying death by writers tardiness during the course of Clarion West.

Writing exercise I Observation

Heavywaisted and largebottomed she stood fixing her hair while her baby played at her feet with dusty hands and knees. Something about fleshing out character with minute details.

Writing Exercise II POV

The car had belonged to the old man. It was a Nissan Sunny bought back in a year when Nissan was content to be seen as that plain and reliable friend you had the one who could be relied on to get enough sleep and file all their taxes on time. Telling a story about a neighbours neighbour from two different POVs.

Writing Exercise III Time Narrative

She cant find a dry bench to sit on and she isnt wasting tissue to do the public service of wiping them dry so she squats on one of them to eat breakfast. Thinking of an event and writing about it from one set of time points beforeafter.

Writing Exercise IV Character Event Setting

Before her shift starts Mary goes to the washroom and washes her hands twice Once after she exits the cubicle and once after shes fixed her hair. Like a party game we got a random character event and a setting. I wrote a short piece set in a story world I am currently inhabiting.

Well. All in all I met great people was introduced to great ideas and wrung a few pieces of microfiction out of myself over the course of three days. Its not a bad way to spend a weekend.

Our instructors Jean McNeil left and Julia Bell right.