I was reading the story by Leo Tolstoy “after the dance”. When ever you read like a writer you get more inspired to create a more profound and beautiful piece. My restlessness got more as the time passed by.
But as any writer faces the problem I too was suffering from lack of good idea. And If I had any then to develop it in good story was a great challenge. As my restlessness was growing to develop a good piece I came across an advertisement on fiction writing workshop in the university campus. To my surprise I was for a second felt that I have got the solutions for my problems. As I have a plot in my mind but I was seeing a teacher who can help me to develop the plot.
I got enrolled in the fiction writing workshop I asked my colleague to register me. I was relaxed and was anxious too to be happy in company of good writers. Rahul Saini a well known name for paper back series was coming for a day long workshop at Sharda University organized by School of Business Studies. Rs 500 came out to be cheap deal, for students, to have a prolific writer and an afternoon of good conversation and a workshop on techniques of writing a good story.
The day came and we assembled in a conference room in the PGDM building. Excitement was as its peak especially amongst the students. There were students from BJMC department, BBA group and engineering studies. We are sitting and discussing our tastes and interest as we were waiting for Rahul Saini.
Rahul Saini started the session by having an introduction of students and other members who were participating in the workshop. During an introduction I came to know that there were many students who were not only experienced in poetry, story writing but also were voracious readers. If I’m not wrong Rahul Saini too was enjoying the company of the students.
Then conversation was then followed by his lecture on techniques of story writing. By putting questions like what is story? What do you mean by plot? What is the importance of narrative and other questions he threw were the definition of conflict and the development of plot and character.
With the examples of famous author and critiquing their quality of work he gave good exposure for the participants. He somehow declined to like the Chetan Bhagat works. He said there is lack of depth and the language is too colloquial.
Technically speaking the workshop was of very good standard and best part was he was audible to the entire group. He made very clear the concepts of story writing and importance of good piece. He did not speak but his whole workshop made it clear that we should read like a writer.
In the end he asked everybody to write a piece and share it in the class. Many students including me tried to grab a plot and expose it in front of him. The best thing he did is that he started a writers group at Sharda on facebook; Where writers can share the muse, the pieces and there creativity.
Article By: Rashi Gupta, School of Language, Sharda University
