SHORT FICTION WRITING WORKSHOP

Das sagt der/die Veranstalter:in:

WRITING WORKSHOP  22.–23.02.2025  10:00–15:00
WITH  Chimeka Garricks
LANGUAGE  The workshop takes place in English
FREE ENTRY  Donations welcome
ACCESS  Our space is accessible by wheelchair

PARTICIPATION The workshop is open to all, but has limited capacity with half of the spots reserved for our neighbours living in Wedding. If you are interested in joining us, kindly send an email with subject line "Short Fiction" to weddingaffairs@savvy-contemporary.com with your name and in which neighbourhood you live.

Every personal story is part of a larger tapestry, just as the grandest histories comprise countless intimate moments. It is more than a brief glimpse into a character’s world – it is a sharpened, layered, and expanded moment that reveals the forces that shape both individual lives and the world around them. They can ripple outward, carrying the weight of history, memory, and change within the tensions of the short format. Writing short fiction requires an understanding of this tension, of how the personal and the collective are always intertwined. A well-crafted short story does not summarise life; it suggests its complexity in the space of a few pages. It trusts subtext, lets silence speak, and allows meaning to accumulate in the gaps between words. 

Chimeka Garrick's 2-day Short Story Writing Workshop for SAVVY.doc aims to walk participants through the practical step-by-step process of imagining, creating, and editing a short story. The workshop is for writers (wannabes, struggling, intermediate, established, etc.), dreamers, and the curious. The format for the workshop is 6 modules taught over 2 days. And will consider genres, styles, form, ways of creating and writing about character, and the importance of setting, symbolism,  themes, narrative, POVs, dialogue, and characters. By the end of the workshop, participants will leave with a deeper understanding of short fiction’s craft and mechanics, a piece in progress, and fresh perspectives on how their own writing connects to the larger stories we all share.

Each module will include writing tips, writing prompts and tasks, study/discussion materials, and professional editorial feedback, exercises, examples, and advice. The modules will also deconstruct the mechanics of short story writing and explore craft and techniques.  

The Outline for the Modules is listed below:  

Day 1  
§  Module 1 – The short story art form. Genres & Writing Influences/Styles
§  Module 2 – Themes, Setting, & Plot
§  Module 3 – Characters (Part 1)
Ca. 1 hour 30 minutes per module

Day 2
§  Module 4 – Characters (Part 2)
§  Module 5 – POVs & Dialogue
§  Module 6 – The Politics of Writing/Writing for Change. The Business of Writing (Publishing, IP Rights, Contracts, etc.)
Ca. 1 hour 30 minutes per module
 

Chimeka Garricks  is a writer, editor, screenwriter, and script doctor. His work includes: a collection of short stories, A Broken People’s Playlist; a novel, Tomorrow Died Yesterday; and a script in development. His editing credits include a collection of short stories, Nearly All the Men in Lagos are Mad, and 2 novels, The Days of Silence and After the End. He enjoys teaching international writing masterclasses: and has spoken at many events, including the African Book Festival Berlin, and the Aké Arts and Book Festival. He counts Celeste Mohammed, Chuma Nwokolo, Cyprian Ekwensi, Susan Muaddi Darraj, Ben Elton, Ahmadou Kourouma, Junot Diaz, and Bisi Adjapon among his favourite writers. He lives in the United Kingdom.

FUNDING This workshop is part of Wedding Affairs, our neighbourhood gatherings within the 15-months-long programme TRANSITIONS, funded by Die Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien.