Writing for Designers

This week I am in Vienna at the University of Applied Arts to run a writing workshop for the Design Investigations Studio. Here's a workshop description:

Writing for Designers: Intro to Narrative Structure and Style

During this workshop, we will:

1. Talk through the basics of how a text is constructed.
2. Learn to deconstruct how a text works so that you have some tools to “debug” your own writing in the future.
3. Complete several short exercises to introduce stylistic techniques that you can use in both your nonfiction and speculative fiction work.
4. Write a short, finished piece of your own.

Each day of the workshop will begin with a mini-lesson and short exercise on specific topics such as description, reverse outlining, and defamiliarization. These workshops will be hands-on with plenty of time to write, to experiment, and to discuss, and we will take a visual approach to constructing and deconstructing texts. We will “workshop” the short exercises so that you have a sense of how to critique as a writer.

Most afternoons will be reserved for independent work, drop-in help, and individual meetings to discuss any of your works in progress (either from this workshop or from a Design Investigations project). On the final day, you will present the pieces you complete during the workshop.