Learn to Write your own Stories of Change: Online Story-Writing Class - April 2024

ABOUT

The Barefoot Guide Connection presents:

An Online Class in Four Sessions

Do you have a good social change story to tell?

This is an online writing class for people who have been involved in social change processes who have good stories and insights to share and who want to learn to write these down in ways that capture their rich reality and meaning.

The class will be held on Zoom in 4 sessions of 3.5 hours each.

N.B. To be certain of your time zone, go to the Timezone Converter (https://www.thetimezoneconverter.com/) to find the time where you live.

SESSION ONE

Tuesday 16 April 2024 - 9h00 to 12h30 GMT - 11h00 to 14h30pm SAST - ?12h00 to 15.30 EAT

A step-by-step process to write your first draft of about 800 words, using the Outside/Inside Story free-writing technique.

SESSION TWO

Friday 19 April 2024 - 9h00 to 12h30 GMT - 11h00 to 14h30pm SAST - ?12h00 to 15.30 EAT

After a brief input on a powerful listening approach (head/heart/feet) you will enhance your story before reading your draft to two peers to get valuable feedback. And give them feedback too. You will then incorporate the feedback into your next draft. 

SESSION THREE

Tuesday 23 April 2024 - 9h00 to 12h30 GMT - 11h00 to 14h30pm SAST - ?12h00 to 15.30 EAT

We will introduce you to the Action Learning Cycle to enable you to draw valuable insights, learnings and implications for future practice to include in your draft. You will then get peer feedback on your second draft and immediately incorporate that into a third draft. You will then send your draft to the facilitator who will give you editorial feedback to learn from and to incorporate into your fourth draft.

SESSION FOUR

Tuesday 30 April 2024 - 9h00 to 12h30 GMT - 11h00 to 14h30pm SAST - ?12h00 to 15.30 EAT

After an input to assist you to polish your language, do stylistic improvements and improve your beginnings and endings, you will receive feedback from your peers to enable you to produce a final draft.

A WRITER'S GUIDE

We will provide you with a comprehensive and helpful Writer's Guide, full of practical advice to finetune your writing pieces. 

YOUR FACILITATOR

Doug Reeler has facilitated Barefoot Guide Writeshops and provided coaching and editing support for writers for the past 12 years. He also practices as an organisation and practice development facilitator with Tamarind Tree Associates.

THE COURSE FEE

70 euros / R1400

OUR EXPERIENCE 

The method developed by the Barefoot Guide Connection during the past ten years has culminated in a wide array of eight Barefoot Guides, articles, reports, and blogs written by communities of practice in social change fields like health, environment, organisational change, agroecology and inclusion. Most of the hundreds of people we have supported to write stories from their own rich experiences had never imagined they could write something worth publishing. But they have and so can you.

OUR APPROACH

We facilitate enjoyable processes to help participants to overcome their writer’s block and to use the writing process itself to reflect and learn. This also helps those

involved in monitoring and evaluation to develop a deeper learning dimension in their practice.

WHAT PREVIOUS PARTICIPANTS HAVE SAID ABOUT THE COURSE

"The writing course was life-changing - it gave me both the practical tools and the inspiration to get writing!"

"This workshop empowered me to not only surface my inner voice and reflections, but to move beyond the constraints of detached bureaucratic report writing and academic research abstraction, and to embrace a new level of intimacy in storytelling writing."

"The idea of the 'outside' and 'inside' story was illuminating - it's something that you sort of know about but giving it a language and intentionality was really nice. The facilitation had a nice rhythm and the space was held well. I really enjoyed the course and encourage others to do it."

"Learn to Write Stories of Change is an engaging and enjoyable course providing just the right balance of technical know-how and hands-on practice. Great for beginners and more experienced writers."

“During the writeshop I experienced my story coming alive and communicating directly to my audience. The direct and honest feedback from my peers helped the story to get even more on purpose.”

“Such a simple process, yet so profound. Absolutely loved it. I feel like the next Jane Austen.”