DAY 1 : We started off with warmup exercises :
– filling blanks with one word and then two words and so on
– ⁠we were asked to write one sentence to finish phrases
– ⁠write something within our line of vision just describing it (not saying what it is)
– ⁠make stuff about someone on the screen
– ⁠stare out of the window and write about something you see – two things
– ⁠three sentences with direct speech (that also makes up a story)
– ⁠passenger safety card for time travel machine – make it funny
– ⁠ABDCE – action, background,development, climax, end (this should be a complete story)
– ⁠Give a name to a character and the person gave some prompts like – what is her most savored possession , where is this person, what is the emotion, what text message will the character receive
– ⁠the workshop conductor interviewed the character also with questions like why did you leave the place and so on
– ⁠we had to write a paragraph with the beginning, middle and end !

Day : 2

Four Part Story Markers.

Just like how a picture frame should have four sides, a good story should have all the four markers.
Character Marker : Be Bold, Let your character be your guide, the character has to take center stage, show some distinguishing characteristics, give some clues to personality and background and also show how the character progresses through the story.
Setting Marker : Use proper nouns like names of places/streets, Be specific, mix setting to character and viewpoint, Use senses to immerse the readers, Mix setting with the characters and also don’t let setting overwhelm.
Time Marker : Give a strong sense of Time and period, Keep the continuity (showing the time as the story progresses), Be subtle and leave breadcrumbs though out the story, maintain tone and voice
Goal Markers : Make the antagonist/protagonist memorable, Give a tangible goal, Create smaller goals, Start building tension/conflict/challenge and keep it all through.

Day – 3
cool points :

Sub not your best story but your brave story
Always follow the Rule of One which is ; – One Protag, One Antag, one goal, one scene, one setting, one viewpoint.
If it’s longer, add scenes, don’t add characters.
Write more. Write often. The best comes within a bunch of not so great stories.
Story structure has a Beginning where we set the goal, the middle that has the conflict/contrast/challenge/complication and the End which has only 3 options that are – Your Character either achieves the goal, fails the goal or we don’t know the outcome.
If there is a story, pick the most inconsequential one to frame the story (A dirty sock in a war torn area)

Day – 4

conquering self doubt :
I wonder if there is such a thing. She asked all of us close our eyes and visualise the moment in our recent past when we encountered self doubt. She asked us to visualise it, feel the textures, smell it, think of the body motions, the emotions and immediately after that, we wrote it all down. She said now we have material to use for one of the characters in our story! Cool ha?

Final DAY
Ultimate Short Story Checklist

The Beginning :
-Do you have a great opening
Is your reader orientated? Intrigued?
Have you introduced the protag? Established an emotional connection?
Setting : create a mood as it’s v important
Have you started with an action scene. There should be some motion. (Action is the inciting incident)
Does your portage have a goal?
If there is an antag, they offer the conflict.

Middle :
Conflict = beating heart of fiction
Good way to introduce conflict with an antag
Consider the backstory -(The present is influenced by the past and the conflict b/n portag and antag, their conflict is becos of that)
Does the character achieve the goal? The best endings are about failures
Word count will determine the number of scenes.
The End:
Has the character achieved the goal
How does the story end
Good repitition is great (they offer rhythm)
Title – the last part to work on
If the story is short, the title has to do the heavy lifting.

Take Aways wrt to writing :

What’s unique about your sentences?
Change POV to change the voice
Have you varied the length of your sentences?
Have you varied the length of those paragraphs
Creating white space on the screen draws attention to the words written
Does the pacing suit the story
Have you answered all the questions
Does your story have a theme
Dialogues – make sure they sound unique
Body languages add the little extra to the craft
Don’t use adverbs with words like said.

Santanu session- Reality and vulnerability of characters, let them do what they want- there should be a transformation.

Tonight me- reality of the ‘fictive’ dream, believability, dream about them characters writing letters should be convinced about their existence hopes desires hates like a real person immersive and pacing good as well as the reader should be concerned.