Resources from the online feedback event and Building your Story workshop

Thank you for joining us at the weekend and sharing your story ideas. Here are the slidesLink opens in a new window that supported the Building Your Story workshop, the link to the Padlet where we shared our writing exercises, and some notes below to help you in building your story.

Don't forget to let us know if you are coming to the Celebration Event on Wednesday 15 May 6-7.30pm on campus, and if you would like to bring any guests!

STORY THEMES

• You can choose any theme for your story as long as it relates ideas and themes of human rights and social justice as you understand them. From the example stories that we have shared so far, you can see that there are lots of different ways to do this.
• We aren’t only concerned with vast ideas of injustice, like war, genocide or global warming. We also care about so-called “small injustices” that apply to everyday interactions and experiences. A small injustice is just as important.

FOCUS ON EFFECTIVE STORYTELLING

• Remember what we said in the first workshop. This programme is not about airing personal trauma or finding therapy. Writing Wrongs is about effective storytelling and that requires critical thought and detailed research. We want you to produce a story that appeals to both intellect and emotion.
• Just because we’re dealing with complex issues relating to human rights and justice, you shouldn’t feel compelled to tell stories of tragedy. (And we have already asked you not to include descriptions or details of suffering and trauma.) Stories about rights and justice can be hopeful, defiant, and fun!
• What do you want the reader to feel and understand by the end of your story? Is it an effective story if they end feeling depressed and hopeless? (Remember Tony Walsh!)

WORD COUNT

The word limit is 1,500 words. That doesn’t allow room for lots of different characters or perspectives or plot twists. So, start small. Try crafting a beginning and an ending, then see how much space that leaves for the middle section. Instead of trying to tell a big story, narrow your focus to write just one scene, one event, or one conversation. This will allow you to tell a story in depth, instead of just skimming over the surface.

HAVE YOU GOT THE FULL STORY?

Sometimes stereotypes and biases appear in our writing, especially when we’re writing about other people or places and issues that aren’t part of our personal experience. Watch this 20-minute TED talk by award-winning writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, The Danger of a Single Story, to understand how some stories can rob people of dignity - and how thoughtful storytelling can produce a richer story with equality and humanity at its heart.

READ, READ, READ

We can’t stress how important reading is to improving your writing. If you’re writing journalism, read journalism. If you’re writing fiction, read fiction. Find stories relating to the issue you’re writing about and read them critically. What does the writer do well? What could be improved?

MAKE A START

Starting writing can feel like the hardest part, but once you’ve done some research and you have a plan in mind, it’s time to put words on a page. Start by setting aside 15 minutes with no phone and no internet access, and just write! Be brave. Remember, this is your first draft. No one will judge it and in our third workshop we will help you to improve on whatever you have written. We recommend setting aside one to two hours a week to read, research and write, so that you can make a strong start on your story.

What happens next?

Please email your draft stories (write as much of the story as you can) to law.wp@warwick.ac.uk by Sunday 14 April. (Remember, if you want to also enter the Orwell Youth Prize, you should send your draft to them by April 1 if you want to receive personalised feedback.) We will read your stories and give you feedback in our final in-person workshop on campus on Saturday 20 April. Good luck!