Tag: “Singapore Book Council”

Reading and Writing Asian Science Fiction

Victor Fernando R. OcampoLeave a comment

Interested in Science Fiction from Asia?

This workshop is for writers passionate about Asian science fiction and working towards publication in the genre. After a brief survey of SF written by Asians in Asia and the diaspora, I’ll discuss the nuts and bolts of craft including pacing, structure, and revision, as well as diving into topics of particular importance to science fiction authors, such as how to do research for authenticity, worldbuilding, incorporating scientific concepts and advanced technology and how to do revisions. Lastly, I’ll talk about the publishing process and the current science fiction market for short, medium, and long form fiction. The goal is for you to leave the workshop energized with a plan for writing and submitting your work.

Reading and Writing Asian Science Fiction
by Victor Fernando R. Ocampo, in partnership with the Singapore Book Council
Date: 14 October 2023
Time: 10am to 1pm
Place: SBC Training Room
90 Goodman Road BLK E, #03-32
Cost: SGD$60; Register here

Science Fiction written by Asians living in Asia or in the diaspora, are enjoying a renaissance with authors like Cixin Liu, Hao Jingfang, R.F. Kuang and Yoon Ha Lee (among many others)frequently on the top of many best seller lists. As a writer passionate about speculative fiction, how do you create fiction that doeesn’t fall back on the tropes of exocticism and techno-orientalism? This workshop is an introduction to the exiting world of Science Fiction written in Asia. It also aims to help you develop stories that utilize your own lived experience to build your own vision of the future instead of being the futuristic “other” for Western (White/CIShet) audiences.

Objectives:

  1. Understand what exactly is Science Fiction and what makes up the genre.
  2. Learn the elements of what makes a good short story
  3. Introduction to World-building
  4. Developing memorable characters
  5. Developing Story-arcs
  6. A word on Generative AI
  7. How to get published

Embracing the Weird* : Writing Speculative Fiction

Victor Fernando R. OcampoLeave a comment

ICYMI: This Thursday,  17 December 2020, I  have an online speculative fiction workshop for budding writers aged 13 to 16. If your kids are looking for something different this holiday season. Space is very limited. Please check it out. Details here.

Embracing the weird in your writing means taking risks and breaking rules. It means being completely honest and not being afraid of judgement. It means having fun, trying experimental techniques and looking at things from strange angles. In this online course, we’ll explore how approaching writing in unusual ways can unlock your creativity. We’ll do some reading, lots of writing and break some writing rules while we’re at it.

This workshop, organized by the Singapore Book Council, is suitable for 13 to 16 year old kids who would like to understand speculative fiction and try their hand at writing hand at writing a piece that defies all rules.

This programme will be conducted via the Zoom platform. Participants do not need a Zoom account to take part in the workshop.

Kinokuniya members can enjoy 10% off the workshop fee for this programme. Please contact programmes@bookcouncil.sg for the discount code before online registration.

* Apologies to the wonderful and always benevolent Jason Erik Lundberg for almost, somewhat, but not actually meaning to nick the title of his famous work.

Dreaming of Stranger Futures

Victor Fernando R. OcampoLeave a comment

Thank you to Kenny Leck, #BooksActually and the #SingaporeBookCouncil for inviting me to this #BuySingLit 2020 panel. Thank you also to everyone who attended last Saturday’s event despite the current coronavirus situation.

Dreaming Of Stranger Futures
Panelists: Lu Hui Yi, Nicholas Yong, Victor Ocampo
Moderator: Ian Chung

What’s the worst thing that could happen to your home? What about the best thing? And what can our answers to these questions tell us about our deepest desires and values? Three writers of fantasy, speculative fiction, and science fiction discuss the potential in their genres for articulating our politics, and new visions of the future.

Ad Aspera Per Verba: Writing Your First Science Fiction Story

Victor Fernando R. OcampoLeave a comment

I had great fun last Saturday (2 March) sharing my writing process with class of mostly Junior College and University kids. This lecture/workshop was part of the Singapore Book Council’s Open: Singapore Young Writers Lab series, a year-round program consisting of talks, workshops and mentorships for writers between the ages of 13 and 25. .

The three-hour session was divided into a lecture portion on the history, importance and types of Science Fiction, an interactive session on story-writing basics, then a workshop where the students would produce a one to three sentence story or word-clump*.  The best two of which would win prizes. Interestingly the oldest and the youngest of the participants won first and second prize respectively.

SBC Workshop - 1

Here was my course outline:

1.What is Science Fiction?

2. Developing Science Fiction Ideas

3.Building A Story Structure –

  • Basic Plot Cheat Sheet
  • Character Building
  • Setting, Viewpoints and Tense
  • Creating a Vibrant Narrative Voice

4. Getting Published

  • Marketing your work
  • Can you make money from SF Fiction?

5. Workshop Proper: Writing, Editing and Sharing (One Hour)

6. Q&A

Thank you again to the Singapore Book Council (SBC) for inviting me. Please check out the rest of the Open: Singapore Young Writers Lab. Thank you also to everyone who took time from their Saturday afternoon to participate in our very lively session.

*n.b. This workshop was meant to introduce my writing process for Science Fiction rather than to produce a full short story. The goal was to teach participants how to develop an idea into a concrete flash fiction piece.