Workshop on Narrative Non-Fiction: 2021
For college students, fresh graduates and aspiring writers
The Art of Narrative Non-Fiction
I write narrative non-fiction, creating lively scenes through action and the use of quotes from firsthand accounts, all based on rigorous research. If I say a character leaned against a fence on a windy day, than I have at least two sources to back up these details.
—Jim Murphy
Narrative non-fiction is about telling a story—a story that is real; and broadly speaking that is what this workshop would be about. Participants will work with the Workshop Mentor in developing, researching and writing articles (1–3) that would be suitable (i) for publication in a magazine; or (ii) as a standalone piece in a book; or even (iii) something that an be expanded later into a full-fledged book. To extract the most from this workshop, you are expected to have basic creative writing skills and techniques, and know communicably good English. And yes, you should be dying to tell a story.
The Structure of the Workshop
The workshop will play out over a month. There would be three online sessions and a customised one-on-one session with the Workshop Mentor during the third week. The first two online sessions would cover various aspects of narrative non-fiction writing. The one-on-one sessions will be slotted on a first-come basis. Participants will have to submit three story ideas, one of which would have to be written during the course of the workshop. The last online session would evaluate the submissions. Remember, this is a workshop—not a course. This necessarily means that all participants will have to submit the assignment at the end of the workshop.
Goodies: All selected participants will be mailed a narrative non-fiction title before the workshop gets under way.
Assignment: Participants will have to work on a full-length article during the course of the workshop. Details will be announced on the workshop website.
Takeaways: First, there is only so much that one can learn from a course, and that is the reason why this is a workshop and not a course. In other words, this would be a hands-on exercise: you get to write. Second, we are aware of the time constraints. Therefore, the objective of this workshop is to push you in the right direction.
The sessions: The sessions will include:
- types of narrative non-fiction;
- choosing a subject;
- structuring the story;
- organising notes and ideas;
- dialogue and quotes;
- collecting and organising research;
- the art of storytelling;
- narrative non-fiction vs memoir;
- opinion vs journalism.
The assignment: Participants would have to use these takeaways to work on the assignment for the workshop. The bulk of the writing work would have to be done during the third week. Participants would have to submit 1-3 story ideas after they have been selected, but before the actual workshop gets under way. The story idea would have to be approved by the Workshop Mentor.
Dates & Deadlines
- Applications: October 23, 2021
- Early bird applications: October 16, 2021
- Selection of participants: October 24, 2021
- Payments: October 31, 2021
- Workshop: November 6, November 13, November 27
- One-on-one: November 22-26, 2021
Eligibility Criteria
This workshop is open to college students, fresh graduates and aspiring writers. The workshop would be in English, and therefore all participants are expected to know communicably good English. There is, however, an age restriction. The upper age limit for participants would be 29 years.
The Fees
The fees for the workshop would be ₹3,999 (including 18% GST). But we also have an early bird provision. Approved applicants will be eligible to a ₹1,200 discount, and pay only ₹2,799 (including 18% GST).
Selection
Participants will be selected on basis of a 300-word write-up on why you want to attend the workshop, and what you expect to take away at the end of the day. The approval process would need 1-2 working days. Once an application is approved, the applicant would have to pay the requisite fees. The payment link will be mailed to the applicant.
The Workshop Mentor
Subir Ghosh
The Chief Mentor of the workshop is Subir Ghosh, Director of Inscriptions, the company that owns and runs this website. Subir is a Bengaluru-based journalist-writer-researcher who writes about sustainable fashion, political corruption, crony capitalism, conflict, wildlife and cinema. He is the author of three books, and has co-authored three with others. He has also written over a thousand articles in his career spanning close to three decades.
FAQs about the Workshop
On which online platform will the event be held? The primary workshop platform would be the Inscribe website itself. However, we will be conducting the three live sessions over Zoom. We will let you know the link well in advance. Just be sure to check your email.
Do I need an internet connection to participate? This is an online event, and an internet connection therefore is a must. Since these would be live video sessions (which do require some bandwidth), it would be good if you have a stable connection. If you would be connecting via a mobile conection, do ensure that you do so from a place where you get a stable signal.
If you have any other query, please write to inscribeworkshops@gmail.com.