Do you wish to publish your own book? Want to know about the do’s and dont’s of being a published writer? In this article I will tell you about what I learned from this two-hour workshop: From Inspiration to Publication.

So here came the big day! On 23rd of July 2023 Sing Lit Station’s space was filled with laughters and excitement! I myself was very excited as it was my first time to organize a workshop for MWS so I came earlier to settle the venue and make sure everything’s ready!

Attendees started to arrive and then the facilitator caught our eyes with her beaming smile even though she’s carrying a big heavy bag with the stuff she wanted to giveaway to the participants 😍 I guess she too was so excited to mentor us 🙏 Before we started the workshop she gave away some notebooks for us to write and also shared some of her published books for free!

We started the workshop proper with Miss Claire introducing herself and telling some quirky things about her and then she also asked participants to introduce themselves and what quirky talents they have! It’s a fun warm up and we all loosened up a bit!

She started by asking us why people actually want to publish? And the majority had the same answers:

☆ to connect with readers

☆to share our part

☆its our responsibility to promote our work!

We then learned about writers’ assumptions and editors’ mindsets! And then we came to an exercise to test and challenge  us on what we’ve learned so far. She gave a situation and let us explore and make our own story based on that situation. Everybody participated and came out with very interesting and mostly funny stories about  it! And what is the most interesting part is where we voted on the work we liked most and Miss Claire gave some prizes to the lucky ones 😍

Here’s a work that one of our participants created!

Prompt: This afternoon, I came back with my dress on inside out.

I heard my alarm at 6:30 am, so I snoozed for another five minutes and another five minutes and another five minutes…. it’s alright today is Sunday, but when I woke up it was already half past nine. I rushed to get up as I left my babies named spongies, patries and oniebonie on the bed upside down. Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! I am going to be late in the workshop with Ms. Claire.

As I jumped to the train everyone looked at me bewildered. I can hear their murmurs as they look at me sideways. So, I was bemused, why are these people so curious about me, I just shrugged it off.

I reached Singlit station. I enjoyed the workshop about “Inspiration to Publication” and learned a lot of things. It gives me inspiration to publish my book, one day. When I went home and looked at myself in the mirror. no wonder I wore my dress inside out. And I laugh out loud. 😅

Eventually we came to the last exercise and it was nerve racking one coz the editor herself Miss Claire asked us to edit her work 😱 and apply what we’ve learned from the workshop! So we all became an editor for an instant 🤣 Whoahh who could have thought we can edit an editor’s work? Isn’t it amazing? But at the same time we all struggled as her work is almost perfect and then what to edit, what to cut? But at same time it’s a really fun and thrilling experience!

The workshop ended with another fun exercise which was sharing to our social media platform what we’ve learned from the workshop that could inspire others so that they too can be published authors someday! And once again Miss Claire chose a winner and generously gave some prizes! Lucky for those  who win 😄

We had a group photo as usual – we won’t miss that for the world! Got the chance to talk to our facilitator, bought her book, and ask some advice from her in their writing and publishing their work someday!

Overall this chock-a-block  and exhilarating workshop got me thinking that if you have goals and dreams, work hard on it, put in your heart and your passion! Put aside your worries and start on working things with a positive mindset! And I am looking forward to publish my own poetry book someday! Be free! Write! Be bold! Create! Be curious! Discover!

Big thanks to Sing Lit  Station for our workshop venue and for being our literary home for quite a while! To The Majurity Trust for their undying support and of course Migrant Writers of Singapore for organizing this life changing and innovative workshop!

Written By

Jenelyn Leyble