Schedule

23rd & 24th February 2013
National Library Board
Possibility + Imagination Room (Level 5),
100 Victoria Street, Singapore 188064

Saturday, 23 February 2013 — Seminar
⬇ Possibility Room
10.30 – 10.45am Welcome Note
10.45 – 11.45am

Keynote: Writing – a Passion, Vocation or Career?

by Suchen Christine Lim

Why do you write and what do you get out of it? SEA Write Award 2012 winner, Suchen Christine Lim will talk about the fragmented paths to writing and publishing and the differences between writing as a passion, a vocation, and a career. It takes more than passion and a flair for writing to build a life working with the written word. Find out about writing for pay and writing for pleasure and how to marry the two.

11.45  – 12.45pm

New Wave Literature

by Kenny Leck, Joyce Chng, Dr. Melvin Sterne
Moderator: Felicia Low-Jimenez
Writers and publishers on the forefront of current literary trends come together to discuss the where the literary movement is headed. Not just in terms of piecing words together, but also in the arena of getting your work out there and published. What’s trendy in the lit scene and how do you get noticed?
12.45 – 2.00pm Lunch followed by Film Can!
Catch the medley of short films by young budding filmmakers from tertiary institutes and universities at this special lunchtime screening.
⬇ Possibility Room ⬇ Imagination Room
2.00 – 3.00pm

Writing for the Internet – Blogs & Online Publications

by Aun Koh, Liyana Othman, Wyelin Chiu
Moderator: Heather Hansen

Whether you’re writing a food blog, a fashion website or a movie/book review site, this panel discusses the exciting opportunities that are available to local bloggers! From how to create your online presence and build a following, to dealing with ‘haters’ and ‘trolls’ in your comment space, let’s talk about it and get connected!

Playwriting to Directing

by Chong Tze Chien, Zizi Azah
Moderator: Laremy Lee

Join Chong Tze Chien and Zizi Azah, who have both served as playwright and director in their turn, as they discuss the nuts and bolts of the details involved in the production of a play. How much of a say do actors get? How strong is the influence of lighting and sound direction? Where does the playwright’s voice end and where does the director’s vision begin? These burning questions and more will be answered during this session.

3.00 – 4.00pm

How to Break Into the Screenwriting Industry

by Lee Thean-jeen, Daryl John Ho
Moderator: Ben Slater

If you are interested in entering the film and television industry, don’t miss this session by Director Lee Thean Jeen whose works include Code of Law, Homecoming and The Pupil. Along with Thean Jeen, Daryl John Ho, producer, will share his personal experience of entering the industry as a fresh graduate.

Finding Your Voice in the Forest of Prose

by Dave Chua, Jason Eric Lundberg, Samantha De Silva
Moderator: Dr. Melvin Sterne

As a young writer, the thought of venturing into writing can be both exhilarating and intimidating. This panel session will address issues, questions and challenges common to young writers, such as finding a distinctive style and tone, writing for an audience, and what to do when you get writer’s block.

4.00 – 4.30pm Break & Book Signing
4.30 – 5.30pm

Feature Writing – News & Magazine

by Alicia Tan, Linda Collins, Tan Su-Lyn
Moderator: Kannan Chandran

Feature writing isn’t all swanning about chatting with celebrities and making your name in Rolling Stone, later to score a movie deal. Three panellists – writer, editor, blogger and communications agency co-founder, Tan Su-Lyn of chubbyhubby.net fame, who has written for local and international publications including 8 Days, Reader’s Digest and the Wall Street Journal; JUICE magazine editor Alicia Tan whose experience includes writing for Harper’s BAZAAR and ELLE; and Linda Collins, a columnist with The Sunday Times – share the nitty-gritty and take a Q&A for All You Ever Wanted To Know About Feature Writing (but were afraid to ask).

The Poet’s Path to Publication

by Grace Chia Krakovic, Ho Ren Chun, Teng Qian Xi
Moderator: Fong Hoe Fang

While the life of a starving poet sounds romantic in theory, it’s not quite as nice when put to practice. This session, peopled with Singaporean poets, answers the question of how to publish your poetry and how to gain recognition for your writing.

Sunday, 24 February 2013 — Workshops
⬇ Possibility Room ⬇ Imagination Room
10.00am – 1.00pm

Screenwriting: Adapting Ideas for Cinematic Treatment

by Lee Thean-jeen

How does an idea in your head, a story you read somewhere, or an event you experienced or witnessed take the journey towards the screen? The workshop explores how story structure, character development and form are applied in developing a raw idea into a film synopsis, treatment and ultimately, a screenplay.

Workshop participants may get an opportunity to apply the principles of cinematic storytelling to their own ideas or story and pitch them to the class.

Playwriting: Writing a 10 minutes Play

by Chong Tze Chien

How does one begin writing a play? How does one dramatise a story? What does characterisation mean and entail? In this workshop, the above questions and more will be explained and answered by award-winning playwright Chong Tze Chien. Participants will be taught the fundamentals of playwriting and guided in the process of writing their first 10-min play. Topics such as basic dramatic structure (exposition, climax, resolution), characterisation (conscious want versus unconscious want) and dramatic action (conflict, irony, set-up and pay off) will be covered and explained. Participants will better appreciate the inner-workings of drama and learn basic crafts of writing by the end of this workshop. This workshop will lay the important foundation for all aspiring playwrights and writers.

1.00 – 2.00pm Lunch
2.00 – 5.00pm

Graphic Novel: Story and Character Development

by Andrew Tan (Drewscape)

Learn about characterisation and how to tell a story effectively in comic format. Drewscape will also give tips in creating compelling comic arts. Participants will have created a one page comic at the end of the workshop.

Editing: Editorial Skills

by Samantha De Silva

The Editorial Skills workshop aims to provide young and first-time fiction writers with the editing skills necessary to give their manuscript more polish and sophistication in a saturated publishing market. The basics of editing manuscripts and publisher/ agent collaterals will be explored in this workshop, and participants will also have a chance to practice their editing skills in collaborative and individual exercises.

The editing process, an invaluable skill often overlooked by new writers, will also be explored in this workshop, along with an explanation of how the submission process works in the agent/publisher system. Materials provided include sample manuscript submission collaterals.