We haven’t ever worked on the second-person short story, which is what made this writing workshop particularly interesting for me! I love it when I get to work with something new at a guest session!
Michelle D’costa conducted a detailed session, introducing the three narrative perspectives and focussing on the second person narrator. From common misconceptions about the second-person narrator to hands-on writing exercises, Michelle covered a lot of ground in the course of one short hour.
We read a mentor text, explored how we can write in second-person, and discussed a few things to keep in mind when we write a short story. I especially like it when guests I invite reinforce ideas I’m teaching! Here are a few things Michelle mentioned, for instance!
- Avoid clichés
- Be as specific as you can, both for setting, and for character
- Use all the five senses–smell, taste, sight, hearing, touch
- Show, don’t tell
- Avoid head-hopping
We worked on paying attention to detail with an oral exercise for which Michelle showed us a picture of a man. Michelle emphasised the importance of describing what is actually visible rather than making assumptions. Show us what we can see; let the reader make assumptions!
With this, our third guest session, we’re now hurtling towards the end of yet another writing programme. How many courses have I conducted? I have now officially lost count. And I love that.
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