‘Be observant, write from experience,’ top poets and fictionists tell young writers

ACCLAIMED poets and fictionists urged young writers to draw from reality and their own experiences when faced with a creative slump, and use them for future stories, during the 16th Creative Writing Workshop held virtually on April 23-24.

Fictionist Sarge Lacuesta said that writing fiction means putting “reality” into it.

“When we write fiction, there’s a lot of reality that we put into it,” he said. “‘Pag ginamit ‘yung closer to home, closer to your own experience, nagkakaroon ng more impact at dimension to stories.”

Joselito Delos Reyes, coordinator of UST’s creative writing program, said “overusing dramatic connotations” can render the story absurd.

“The moment na hindi magiging kapani-paniwala [ang kuwento], ang mangyayari sa reader mo ay i-interrogate niya na lang ito,” he said.

Filipino author and translator Beverly Siy also warned about writing stories with sensitive topics such as domestic abuse.

“Ingatan natin na huwag maging plot twist lang ang ganitong paksa,” she said. 

Poet and former Varsitarian associate editor Carlomar Daoana encouraged writers to go beyond the conventions of writing.

“Play with possibilities—have the daringness to move beyond the stereotypes,” he said. 

Another poet, Jerry Gracio, emphasized the unique form of poetry and its creators. 

“Poetry has its own ‘architecture’ where writers are the ‘architects’ who design their poems,” he said. “It is not accidental.”

Other panelists in the workshop were Susan Lara and Paolo Enrico Melendez (fiction); Allan Pastrana and Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta (poetry); Allan Popa and Vim Nadera (Tula); and Eros Atalia (katha).

This year’s Creative Writing Workshop was held virtually after a two-year hiatus. 

The 12 fellows were Mannel Angela Castillo, Jan Louie Tagalicud, and Sofia Irene Rozul (fiction); Jeanne Clarisse Grajo, Leanne Angeli Macalalad, and Ma. Christella Lim (katha); Marttina Ross Soriano, Justin Andrew Cruzana, and Kim Bumanlag (poetry); and Carl Angelo Latoja, AI Vincent Tumlos, and Hans Emmanuel Fabroa (tula). Alexandra L. Mangasar