Welcome
Nooks and Crannies
a writing workshop about hidden places
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A tiny café, a fantasy game world, an online writing group. An attic with yellow wallpaper, and a room of one’s own.
Where do we go to get away, if only for a while? Who do we become, in these hidden spaces, that we might not be able to in other areas of our lives?
Can these protected spaces heal and uplift, or can their insularity turn them into troubling echo chambers? When is it liberating to get away from the world, and when does escapism become its own prison?
In this four-week workshop, we will explore the nature of a hidden space, what it might signify to us, and how it might transform us — for better or for worse. We will examine the question of how to write about space — its politics and materiality, its personal as well as sociological significance.
​This workshop is suitable for writers of poetry, prose fiction and creative non-fiction.
By the end of the workshop, participants can expect to produce up to six pages of work, or rework a draft that they have previously completed.
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Schedule and Syllabus (Jun 2024)
This is a general overview of the workshop. Each weekly session includes readings, discussion questions, and writing exercises. While the sessions are organised by theme, exercises relating to more technical elements of craft will be woven into the sessions in a way that supports the overarching theme.
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1st Jun Sat | Introduction
Why do we hide, and where do we go when we need to hide? How do we write about a hidden place, and what might some of these places in Singapore be, whether totally unknown, or hiding in plain sight?
8th Jun Sat | Enchantment
What makes a space enchanted, healing and nourishing? Where do we feel safe and held; able to access a fragment of wonder and peace within this fractured world?
15th Jun Sat | Oppression
What makes a space oppressive, haunted and heavy? Where do we feel afraid, intruded upon, manipulated and trapped; unable to trust our own instincts, thoughts and feelings?
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(one week break)
29th Jun Sat | Workshop
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Workshop readings will draw on the work of Susanna Clarke, China Miéville, Linda Hogan, John Sutherland, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Ng Yi-Sheng and others.
Learning Outcomes
This course is designed to be beginner-friendly. No prior experience in writing is required, but a good command of English would be beneficial. Over the course of this workshop, we hope to help you:
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Craft a narrative that is coherent and compelling, and/or a poetic vision that heightens the reader’s awareness of your chosen subject
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Learn how to give constructive feedback to other writers
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Gain confidence in having your work critiqued in a small-group setting, and
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Feel inspired and encouraged in moving forward with your writing
Registration Details
Dates: 1st, 8th, 15th Jun, (one week break) and 29th Jun 2024
Time: 9.30am - 12.30pm* on Saturdays ​
Location: Your MOTHER Gallery, 26A Rowell Road. Nearest MRT - Farrer Park.
*Do note that those who are more than 30 minutes late will be turned away.
Workshops are capped at 6 pax per session.
Recommended for ages 18 and above.
Cost
SGD 175 for all four sessions
*Receive a 10% discount if you sign up for two or more Writing Circles
About the Facilitator
Stacy Ooi has been facilitating creative writing and art sharing sessions since 2018. She has designed and led workshops on fantasy writing and novel writing. Her work is forthcoming in Blue Heron Review, as well as the tide rises, the tide falls. She dreams of a world where we are gentle with each other.