AGENDA For Young Writers Poetry Workshop # 1
Moray House Trust ~ April 12, 2012. 10.00 a.m. – 2.00 p.m.
9.30 – 9.45 Participants arrive, register, each submits an original poem of their own, and settle in.
10.00-10.15 Welcome by VandaRadzik, Chair of MHT Board of Directors Opening Remarks & Overview of Programme by Dr Paloma Mohamed – Workshop Facilitator
10.15 – 11.15 Poet Ian McDonald talks about his process How he writes poetry; where he gets ideas; drafting; re-drafting; his first publishing; his thoughts/views on poetry, etc… Questions & Open Discussion.
11.15 – 12.15 Basic Introduction to Critiquing Poetry by Dr Joyce Jonas Types of poems; main parts of poem; literary devices, what makes a good poem etc. Basic guidelines / tips / pointers towards the making of a good poem.
12.15 – 12.45 BREAK
12.45 – 1.45 One’s Own Work Facilitated by Paloma Mohamed & Vanda Radzik
Four (4) pre-selected original poems* from the upcoming poets will be read / presented and the group will respond by supportively critiquing the work and suggesting ways to make them work better. This session will be used for the poets to review their own work and use the pointers/ tips/ info from both Ian McDonald & Dr. Jonas.
* Poems Selection Process: All participants will be bringing one original poem of their own. These poems will all be put into a bag or box and four will be randomly selected to be used in the exercise.
Method for Exercise on “One’s Own Work”
Each of the selected four selected poems will be read first in silence by everyone and then read aloud by a person who is not the author. There will be feedback for about 10 mins per poem from the group. All poets will then work for about 15 mins. on a brief review of his/her own poem taking on board some of the feedback and guidelines provided in the critiquing session by Dr Jonas and from Ian McDonald’s sessions. Finally, the four selected poems, having been reviewed and possibly improved by their respective authors will then be re-read and posted for further review. Writers will continue to review and improve poems in preparation for the next workshop session. The aim is to introduce some tools and techniques and to then have the young writers apply / utilise these as needed.
1.45 – 2.00 Proposed Next Steps Wrap Up & Closing of Workshop
2.00 – 2.30 LUNCH