Weaving Threads of the Past into the Present with Aashima Rana

Course Summary

This course will explore foundational tales that have shaped our imagination and are raw material for abiding creativity. The course will adapt multi-cultural traditional narratives into compelling modern stories and insightful reflections. With especial attention to form, participants will create innovative pieces that will resonate with contemporary audiences, while drawing on the rich heritage of storytelling.

Whether the participants aim to pen a short story inspired by a folk tale, craft a personal essay interwoven with legendary elements, or simply explore the folklore of their own or other cultures, this course offers a space for reimagining the past cultures. Using folklore as a foundation, participants will be able to channel their imagination into writing, and they will be encouraged to identify commonalities both within their own country and across the globe. 

Course Outline

Week 1: Writing for Editorials

Techniques for engaging national audiences; writing short, impactful pieces. 

Weeks 2-3: Flash Fiction Fundamentals

Crafting complete stories in under 1,000 words; economy of language. 

Weeks 4-5: Zine Making

Craft a zines of your choice. 

Week 6: Non-fiction with Auto-fiction for Zines

Merging personal experiences with fictional elements to create compelling narratives.   

By engaging with folklore, participants will be able to channel their imagination into their writing, enriching their creative expression. Participants will be required to complete weekly writing exercises leading to a final project that involves creating a marketable piece and a corresponding pitch. 

Course Outcomes

By the end of the course, participants will have developed a diverse portfolio of short written works, learned how to adapt their writing to market demands, and gained skills in pitching their ideas effectively. This course will empower writers to navigate the literary market confidently and elevate their creative writing passion or interest.

Aashima Rana has a PhD from Dublin City University, Ireland. Her research interest explores connections between the United States of America, India and Ireland, emphasising folk cultures there. She aims at walking down the lane of trans-continental, trans-national, trans-cultural homogenisation through orality. She looks towards how folklore and its performance critiques the perpetuation of violence and will reflect on the novel ways of engaging with history offered by the women folk orally, later in writing. Aashima is an enthusiast folklorist. She writes flash fiction and poetry inspired or drawn from folk lives. She began her writing journey through RTÉ Brainstorm which encouraged her to go ahead and submit her write ups. 

Booked out? To be added to the waiting list for this course, please email info@irishwriterscentre.ie.