Creative Writing Class (3)

Today's Journalism Club's Creative Writing Class had the participation of 4 students - 2 members and 2 non-members. Today's tutorial topic is 'How To Begin Your Story'. I didn't talk about writing techniques but I presented exercises that will guarantee students to be able to create the MAIN CHARACTERS and THE PROBLEMS faced by these characters. The combination of these two will inevitably create a storyline. So, the students, Shuhada, Aida Farzana, Kharul and Suraya pitched in their spontaneous ideas and the ideas gelled into this story:

A girl named Kamilia has issues with commitment. She can't seem to like any contact with the male species of the population. Her family thinks that it is high time and she gets married and kind of matchmade her with the hero of the story named Helmi Affendi. Kamilia rebelled and she 'ran away' from home. She is by the way 25 years old and she rents with her friends. Enter a villain named Ainin Sofia, whose sweet name and sweetness are only a facade to a sinister and obssessive personality. Ainin Sofia likes Helmi Affendi but the guy thinks that the shrew Kamilia is destined to be his match. So there is this chasing triangle. Ainin Sofia plots lots of stuff to ruin Helmi's pursuit for Kamilia but nothing works. Ainin plans for her magnum opus involving thugs in a recreational jungle.

Meanwhile, the family plans a get-together for Helmi's parents and Kamilia's relatives in a recreational jungle. With everything thrown in, the stage is set for disaster. Helmi and Kamilia got separated from the group and the race for survival begins. Kamilia gets into BIG life and death complication and Helmi makes the final sacrifice, which makes Kamilia realizes that Helmi is THE ONE for her.

The End.

Cliched, you think? Done to death, absolutely. But it is so EXCITING. Young love, antagonism, jealousy, and JUNGLE ADVENTURE and the climax that makes the reader breathless. So, when am I going to teach the ideology of patriotic and religious writing, writing about science and history that can change the way people think rather than rehashing old themes added with sensationalism?

I am going to wait. These kids are 16 and 17. I am getting them to write first, in the age cellphone games and online chatting. I managed to slip in 3 moral values - the sanctity of marriage, not running away from problems and know when to accept kindness.

The Creative Writing will continue, God willing. It was such a scintillating session that I forgot the camera again!