HERE’S THE thing: I am so ready to write something grand: a novel, a Palanca-quality short story, a collection of poetry, even a screenplay.
I have cultivated the hunger since August.
I mean, I have written some in September and October, but mostly to document the construction of La Choza de Dom Pedro.
And so far, I have never missed any one of my columns that come out Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
***
Recently, I had lunch with an artsy friend.
She asked, What are you doing for National Arts Month?
I thought that I could just support what my other artsy friends are doing in February 2023.
But then, I was challenged, When do you give your next writing workshop?
So I just said, In February!
If the participants are there, I will be there.
***
Once I uttered the words, everything came into being.
(God said, and it came to be!)
February 5, from 1pm to 5 or 6, is the first of a series of workshops that I will give for as long as I have the audience.
It will be online. Likely, Google Meet.
BUT, and it’s a big ‘but’…
But I will proceed with the workshop only with a minimum of 10 participants.
Anything less would not be worth my time.
Would not be worth giving up my writing so I could just teach, anyway.
***
I mean, my ‘idea-bouncing people’ have priced my day’s workshop at P800 to P1,000 per head.
I agree with that pricing.
But I am also of the generous and kind heart.
I am really okay with P500 per head for as long as people understand that it is my discounted rate.
Still, I would need 10 people (equals P5,000) to start a workshop.
***
I would like a maximum of 15 participants in my workshops.
But my idea people think that 20 is best.
Now, would I turn away the 21st, or 23rd?
I think 24 is where we draw the line.
If there are 24 people signing up, we can break these into two groups of 12, and assign different schedules to them.
It is as I said, a maximum of 15 participants is my ideal workshop size.
***
Now, all this is for the idea of an online workshop.
My minimum group fee for a face-to-face workshop is P5,000. Take note, minimum.
The group can be a class of 30 to 100 students.
My price increases a little bit if you come from a school with students coming from the upper economic strata of society.
You can hardly expect me to charge Ateneo or CPU, and some barangay high school the same price!
***
How many workshops am I giving?
How many workshops can you afford?
I have a wealth of workshop materials under my belt.
I have been giving creative writing workshops online and in-person since 2008!
(And sporadically before that, since 1998.)
***
The first workshop this February is an Intro to Poetry.
Or should be an intro to all poetry and writing workshops.
It is called “Brown Eyes”.
I feel a need to discuss and teach this on the basis of all the new poetry that I have read online.
There are some good new poetry being made.
But most of the new poetry is crap.
I’m not going to stop people from writing bad poems.
But, by God, I will help willing people to write good poetry.
***
There is a need to revisit the questions, What makes it poetry?
What makes it good poetry?
Very basic questions.
That’s why I am encouraged to go back to the basics with Brown Eyes.
Brown Eyes as a poetry workshop is not all about writing, although it is mostly that.
Equally important, it is about reading poetry, looking at life, understanding the world.
***
Brown Eyes, therefore, is a poetry workshop for beginners and wannabe writers, literature and writing teachers, for students and their parents.
Academics and mid-career writers may not need this.
But if they have forgotten the playfulness of poetry, or how to look at the world with more realistic eyes, they should maybe invest P500 and a Sunday afternoon with me./PN
