“Show, don't tell.”

PHOTOS: DARSHAN CHAKMA

On September 22, The Daily Star (TDS) and United International University (UIU) carried out their latest instalment of their collaboration, IMAGINE Write Creatively, at the Oxford International School in Dhanmondi. The invigorating workshop is aimed at enhancing creative writing among students enrolled in schools. 

Professor Robert M Barnett, Principal of Oxford International School, commenced the programme welcoming the participants and encouraging them to take full advantage of the opportunity. The auditorium was brimming with zest and enthusiasm as the chief guest of the day, Professor Dr. M Rezwan Khan took to the microphone and shed light on the importance of imagination saying, "I believe this programme is the global envelope of creativity and expressions." 

Shortly after the opening ceremony, the workshop kicked off with astounding energy, conducted by Sharmin Sultana who is an assistant professor at UIU and Naziba Basher, who is affiliated with The Daily Star. From the very go, the students were kept on their seats with the inclusion of games and intriguingly creative exercises. The platform offered a change in scenario from their regular classroom practices. They were asked to think out of the box and to harness their imaginative thinking unlike most times when limitations were imposed. A constant back and forth interaction between the trainers and the participants provided a stimulating environment where everyone broke out from their inhibitions and participated.

The participants were introduced to the foundations of creative writing, emphasising on the three fundamental elements: character, plot and setting. The workshop incorporated numerous sessions where participants were asked to construct small anecdotes from given writing prompts and displayed images which were rich in diversity and provoked the imagination. They were informed about the importance of the development of a character and of an intriguing climax to keep the readers on the edge. 

After the characterisation, the trainers shed light on the setting and the plot. During this session, the students were involved in exercises where they had to develop a story from the picture of a place. The teachers were joyous to observe how they impressively made links among these connectors and how each of their stories differed in style and content. Other exercises focused on the five senses where the eager volunteers from the student body were blindfolded and were asked to taste, touch or smell something and use their imagination to develop a story from each object. This particular session witnessed the students enjoying the most. 

Sumaiya Sethi, who contributed several impressive stories said with great exhilaration, expressed, "I am planning to write my own novel someday and I want to start my endeavour by sending me fictional write-ups to SHOUT and if they get published, it will motivate me to turn them into a series." 

Nafis Hossain expressed his joy and thanked The Daily Star for reconnecting him to creative writing. He said, "I had lost touch with this passion of mine due to other involvements in school but this workshop has reignited my passion for this because now I know how the writers put so much effort and technique to make the readers feel connected."

The programme finally ended with the participants picking a character of their choice from the publication of SHOUT and giving them a new identity. Sharmin Sultana concluded that session by giving a brief but a winning presentation on SHOUT. As the workshop came to a close, the trainers stood proud as they believed that they were able to enlighten the eager participants and were successful to get the message across that "one should not merely tell a story but rather show it."

Iqra suffers from wanderlust, dreams of discovering the Loch Ness Monster and occasionally hates on Economics. Tell her to get a life at iqralaqa@gmail.com or www.facebook.com/iqra.l.qamari