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Creativity Unplugged

June 2, 2015 | By

“Whenever I find I am not making much headway in one area of creativity I switch genres and move on.” Ramendra Kumar writes about the National Level Workshop on Creative Writing In English.

Ramendra Kumar and the participants at the Creative Writing Workshop

Ramendra Kumar and the participants at the National Level Workshop on Creative Writing In English

I  was the Resource Person  at the National Level Workshop on Creative Writing In English organized by The Department of English, Shillong College in collaboration with the North East Writers Forum on 21st and 22nd May. My session ‘Weaving Tales for Children’ was attended by teachers, research scholars,  students, media persons, authors, poets – in fact, everyone one interested in the art and craft of spinning yarns.

Ramendra Kumar

The session went off like a dream with audience responding to my shenanigans and asking for more of mirth and madness.

The session went off like a dream with audience responding to my shenanigans and asking for more of mirth and madness. As far as I am concerned very rarely have I come across an audience so very responsive and vibrant. During the interaction session I was asked by a lady whether I suffered from Writer’s Block. “Though my wife thinks I am a blockhead I have never really suffered from one. Whenever I find I am not making much headway in one area of creativity I switch genres and move on. Since  I dabble in almost all forms of creative expression like fiction, fables, novels, poetry, travelogue, biography and satires I am never very short of categories to indulge in. Whether the quality is worth reading is for my audience to judge.”

In response to question regarding my current obsession I shared with audience the details to my latest book  And The Jhelum Flows. I elaborated that the novel is about Kashmir in the ‘Here and Now’. The book is an unconventional take, a no holds barred account and a brutally honest narrative. I had sent it to two publishers. They wanted me to bowdlerize the manuscript which was never an option.  Hence I decided to go in for self-publishing using the platform of Crowdfunding.

Creative Writing Workshop

The  Creative Writing Workshop began with me  talking about how I started writing for children, the way I write and the genesis of  an idea. I went on to explain the various elements that make a story. I followed up with narrating an award winning story which was analyzed by the participants.

A story writing session was next with audience divided into heterogeneous groups of 6 to 7 persons. I gave them  three topics and asked them to pick one and write a story on it.

For the next hour the entire hall was buzzing with activity as the young and the not so young bounced ideas,  argued vehemently, agreed to disagree and finally came with their potpourris of creative expression.

Each group was then asked to present its ‘masterpiece’. Some of them opted for old fashioned narration, quite a few performed skits. Brilliant histrionics, riveting narration, rib tickling dialogues, awesome imagination and near perfect synergy: it was a glorious montage of pure and pristine creativity.

An added boost to my ego was entreaties for photographs and a deluge of Facebook requests.

Effective Parenting book launch

Later during the valedictory session, my book  Effective Parenting: A New Paradigm got a nod from the  North East. It has been published by the popular literary e-zine  Learning and Creativity. The book was released by Mr. Robert G. Lyngdoh, Vice Chancellor, Martin Luther Christian  University, Meghalaya in the presence of Mr. K.D. Ramsiej, Principal of Shillong College.  I recited my poem ‘My Hero’ which received an awesome response from the discerning  audience.

I would like to express my thanks to the effervescent Amanda Basaiawmoit, the ‘heartbeat’ of the workshop and Dr. Dhira Bhowmick, Coordinator for an mind-blasting experience.

More to read

Effective Parenting Book Creates A Splash 
Effective Parenting Print Edition Launched
Sholai Success: A Vindication Of My Parenting Paradigm
Of Paradigms, Parables and Parenting

Ramendra Kumar (Ramen) is a children’s writer with 38 books to his name. He has won 34 awards in the competition for writers of children’s literature organised by Children’s Book Trust (CBT), over the years. He also dabbles in satire, poetry, fiction and travelogues. His writings have been translated into 15 Indian and 14 foreign languages and have also found a place in text books, as well as national and international anthologies. A much sought after inspirational speaker and story teller, Ramen has been invited to participate in several conferences and festivals. These include the IBBY Congress of Children’s Writers in Denmark (2008) & Greece (2018) and Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (2019), apart from many literary events across the country. In the Congress held in Greece he was the only writer from India to be invited to chair two sessions. An Engineer and an MBA, Ramen is former General Manager & Chief of Communications, SAIL, Rourkela Steel Plant. He is the father of two children who are bonsai celebrities in their own right. While Ankita is a youth icon and a travel blogger with an Instagram following of 76K, Aniket creates cool Apps and designs covers for his Dad's books. His website is www.ramendra.in
All Posts of Ramendra Kumar

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