Conversation Descriptors

Using fiction and poetry techniques to craft flash and micro fiction

10.30am Saturday 30 August
Vivian Thonger

Explore flash and micro fiction by grafting and meshing literary techniques usually associated with poetry and longer fiction. Vivian will lead an open conversation about how poetry and prose styles and devices can be applied to short-short fiction.  She’ll show lots of examples and share exercises for inspiration. Expect to join in!

Adventures in Transmutation: A conversation about poetry

1pm Saturday 30 August
Piet Nieuwland

Participants will explore what it is to create poetry in present-day Aotearoa. We will explore what it is to make poetry and how we make it, taking into account our post-colonial heritage, ballooning cultural diversity, and new communication tools. Participants will also be guided through a poetry writing process where they will create a draft of a poem and get inspiration and ideas for further creation.

Creating Voices in Fiction and Poetry

3pm Saturday 30 August
Briar Wood

Writing guides sometimes use the phrase ‘finding your voice’, and then go on to explain that writing involves the expression of many points of view. How do we express ideas and produce characters that do justice to the multiple voices in our heads? How can we generate speakers who are credible and also articulate some of our own ideas? Which genres should we choose to carry these thoughts?  This session will be about finding ways to create as many voices as possible in your writing.

Cultural Considerations in Writing

10am Sunday 1 September
Eboni Waitere

Content to be confirmed

Pursuing the Craft

11.30am Sunday 1 September
Zana Bell

There’s nothing to beat that burning-bright moment when inspiration strikes. Words flow, time vanishes. But when the muse abandons us, writing becomes hard work – darned hard work. Craft and graft then come into play as we slog it out over months, over years. We’ll talk about writing practices and share approaches and routines that help get us into ‘flow’ – into the zone. Perhaps most importantly, we’ll discuss what drives us to write in the first place.