FAQs

A writer’s workshop is facilitated by experienced writers and/or teachers. They guide the groups, critique, share, and discuss the elements of creative texts. This will include breaking down creative work into character development, scenes, plot, and movement. Facilitators serve as mentors who share facts and tips on making creative writing a part of your life for publishing and personal purposes. Additionally, they provide other syllabus goals, readings, and discussions that will encourage a writer to grow, recreate, and celebrate the act of writing.

No. Bangalore Writers Workshop (BWW) provides a creative and intensive atmosphere to encourage writers to take their writing seriously and to engage with the art in a more harmonious and rewarding way. We will discuss the world of publishing including places one can submit work to, how to tackle rejections, and improve chances of getting published. We do not recommend writers to publishers nor will we send your work to publishers. We, however, will publish your work on our blog, on the site, newsletter, and/or our anthologies. Details will be shared in the workshop.

Of course, you can. But even the most talented writers need structure, and an exposure to pieces of literature they might not have picked up on their own. A workshop also provides multiple responses to a piece of your work, something you cannot get when you write on your own. You also learn to become a better reader by reading the work of other writers in the workshop as well as pieces from published writers. Your sensitivity to the craft of writing will heighten. You will become aware of minute details, plots, character sketches, and the techniques of forming a story. Most of all, you will be inspired to become a more driven writer.

If you are selected to participate in the workshop, we will notify you via email. You are then given a few days to think it over and decide if you would like to accept. Once you accept to join our course, you will be expected to pay your fees in full to block your seat. Once you have paid your fees, you will be given the BWW Course Book. We accept online payment and cash only. Details will be shared in your welcome mail.

Attendance for all the workshops is mandatory owing to the structure of the workshop. If you miss three workshops, then you forfeit your fees and the workshop. The decision of the facilitators in this will be binding.

A writer who violates BWW Community Guidelines will be asked to discontinue the workshop. In this case, the fees will not be refunded to the writer. The decision of the facilitators in this will be binding.

For the online workshop, preference will be given to writers who are based out of Bangalore.

Cancellation Policy BWW cannot refund your money if you decide to drop out mid-way. If the cancellation is made less than 30 days before the workshop, the fee is not refundable. If the cancellation is made 30 days before the workshop is slated to begin, your entire course fee, exclusive of the registration fee will be returned to you. Fees will not be refunded to a writer who has been asked to discontinue by the Facilitators for violating Community Guidelines.

Fees will not be refunded to a writer who has missed classes or chooses to discontinue after registration.

We reserve the right to change the venue of the workshop at a week's minimum notice. Fees will not be refunded in such a scenario either.

We take our group seriously and ask that if you do commit yourself to the group, respect the group that will be reading your work, and assist us to build a community of writers who support each other. When a writer drops out, apart from losing money, they may also demoralize the rest of the group.

Some of the best inspirations come to a writer when he/she is alone. In our experience, a writer is always accumulating stories from conversations, readings, people watching, a ride on the bus, tension in the family, or a moment with a loved one. An effective workshop allows a writer to saturate himself/herself with critical thinking, reading, discussions that revolve around the craft of writing regularly but not more than once a week. The writer will then have enough time to finish the assigned readings, prepare notes on workshop work, and hopefully be inspired to write something of his/her own. Meeting only once a week also allows the writer to carry on with his/her regular life. A writer will notice that as each week progresses, some element of the workshop discussion will “click” with him/her; something that will tempt the writer to write something new, even if it is just a paragraph.

The workshops could be held (depending on availability and schedule) at:

• WORK365 at #737, 3rd Floor, Kheny Plaza, 2nd cross, CMH road, Binnimangala, Indiranagar, Bangalore – 560038.
• The White Elephant, 1st Floor, No.125, 4th Main Road, Kamadhenu Layout, B Narayanapura, Bangalore - 560016

Definitely. BWW facilitators are here to answer all your questions, guide the entire workshop process, and read your work when it is your turn to be up for the workshop discussion. We will also answer, via email, questions that you might have had about a discussion, craft technique, or just a comment about the day. However, we cannot read work written by you that is outside your allotted workshop time. It’s not that we dislike reading more work, but we must be fair to all the writers in our workshop. Were we to read everything a writer sent us, we would not do justice to our workshop or our own lives as writers.

No. You cannot fail the workshop. There is no such thing as failing as a writer. All writers are in the process of discovering their own voice. The only reason one might be asked to leave the workshop is if a writer violates our community guidelines. A writer who is constantly disrespectful of others, dominates all the discussions without allowing others to speak, or displays any hatred or lack of respect for opinions that might differ from him or her, will be asked to leave the workshop. In this case the fees will not be refunded to the writer.

Yes. You will. However, please remember that BWW is not an academic course. What we are is a community that fosters the art of writing. You will get to be a part of a thriving group of writers. The group will hopefully take many initiatives independently or together to start writing projects in the city or contribute to our newsletter, blog, and website. After you finish a course with BWW, you will be added to an email group and be encouraged to interact and continue your BWW experience for the long run.

You will learn the craft of writing. You will understand creative, critical, and editorial concepts and importantly learn how these can be fused to form a complete literary piece. You will also learn to give, receive, value, and apply constructive criticism.

Yes and no. Yes, because you will receive constant feedback by the facilitators for everything you write as part of the workshop. This will happen through group discussions, workshop activities, and Q&A sessions. No, because your work will not be graded as part of the workshop. Nor will there be any formal examination or test or evaluation.