Any writer can string words together, but to be an engaging one, you have to effectively compose your content. Discover the necessary tools and techniques from our upcoming event, Feature Writing 101, one of our bestselling workshops.

Features can vary widely—in-depth stories, personality profiles… but this particular workshop focuses on the basics of writing feature pieces fit for general themes. Aside from learning the fundamentals, there will be a writing exercise and critique portion where participants can get immediate evaluations on how to improve their compositions.

Who can attend the event?

Whether you’re an aspiring writer or someone simply interested in writing better, this serves as a chance to hone your writing techniques and uncover new ones. You don’t have to be a published writer to participate in the event, but you have to be at least 18 years old though.

This introduction to feature writing class would especially benefit:

· aspiring writers · freelance writers · bloggers · social media / community managers · those working in public relations and other related fields · those working in the field of communications (i.e. corporate affairs, public information, communication officers) · anyone who wants to write better

What is the course outline?

The workshop will discuss the following topics:

· News vs. features · Different kinds of feature stories · Finding story angles · Putting more oomph in your story · Writing the lead of your story

How much is the registration fee?

There is a P2,000 fee per person, which simply covers the course fee. We’ll take care of the substance, but you take care of your sustenance, that okay?

How can I reserve a seat?

Simply sign up through our online registration form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeAsAILFbr_94cYwxQM8vxR2LyQMnm5xjkDH8iEIjeUxyopXg/viewform?usp=sf_link) to signify your interest and we’ll email you the details on how to confirm a slot.

How can I pay for the workshop?

You may settle the workshop fee by making a deposit to our bank account or via Paypal. Details as follows:

Bank: BPI 

Account name: Writer’s Block Creative Enterprises Co. 

Account number: Current account 1751 0828 82

If you have the BPI app on your phone, you can also pay via bank transfer without having to enroll our account in your Bills Payment Roster. Simply click on the option, “Transfer to Anyone”.

Once you’ve made the deposit/funds transfer, please notify us of your transaction by emailing us a copy of the deposit slip/screen cap so we can confirm your slot.

You may also pay via Paypal. Just let us know so we can email you an invoice.

Is the payment refundable?

Writer’s Block Creative Enterprises Co. does not allow refunds on event payments. Failure to claim the seat during the said event will be deemed as a forfeiture of workshop reservation. In the event of such cancellation, the said participant agrees that any and all money paid to Writer’s Block Creative Enterprises Co. will be unrefundable.

Is there a deadline for signing up?

There is no deadline but please note that we will close the registration once all the slots have been filled up. Walk-in participants who will pay on the day itself will only be accommodated if there are still available slots.

Who is hosting the event?

It will be conducted by Writer’s Block Philippines, a duo of editors and communicators who have collectively had more than 20 years of experience in freelance lifestyle and corporate writing.

Ana P. Santos: reproductive health rights and women’s issues

Ana has had over 12 years experience in advertising and marketing communications. She left her post as Assistant Vice President of a financial institution five years ago to pursue a career as a freelance writer.

As an independent journalist and foreign correspondent covering sexual health rights and women’s issues, Ana has received media grants from Newsbreak, Probe Media Foundation and the Philippine Press Institute to cover population and development issues.

In 2014, she was named the Persephone Miel Fellow by Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and did a series of reports on Filipino migrant mothers in Dubai and Paris. Her other Pulitzer Center grants include reports on HIV in the Philippines and young Filipino women who go to Denmark on a cultural exchange program as an au pair.

Ana has a regular column in Rappler while some of her full-length features have been published in the The Atlantic, The Los Angeles TImes, Deutsche Welle - Germany and Foreign Policy.

Nikka Sarthou-Lainez: lifestyle / travel

With the belief that writing can take you places and traveling can inspire you to write, Nikka pursued a career as a lifestyle journalist. Her work has taken her to her dream destinations, which she has written about, and which have been immortalized in various print and online publications.

Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication Arts from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, she got her feet wet in the local publishing industry before becoming a full-time freelance writer. Since then, she has written several features for asianTraveler, Travelife, Spark, Celebrity Mom, Business World, Highlife, Mango, Metro, Metro Society, ClicktheCity.com, Spot.ph, Herword.com, Homegrown.ph, GMA News Online, Rappler, and WayToGo powered by Smile magazine.

Nikka has also been published in Filipino publications abroad such as Filipino Star News in Michigan, Hawaii Filipino Chronicle, and Dubai-based magazine Illustrado. With her work, she was able to interact with movie celebrities, former ambassadors, inspiring entrepreneurs, and other interesting personalities. Aside from meeting and interviewing different characters, she particularly enjoys writing about travel, food, and other lifestyle-related features.

In 2012, she was chosen as one of the five Asian representatives for Moleskine’s Modern Nomads and was included in its exhibition of travel writers’ kits where some of her travel paraphernalia were shown on display. She was the only featured travel writer from the Philippines, the others were from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia.

She was formerly a Contributing Editor in Smile, the in-flight magazine of Cebu Pacific Air.

She never takes off her writer’s hat even when on vacation since she believes that anything can be turned into a story.View Nikka’s portfolio at www.nikkasarthou.com.

Who do I contact for more information about the workshop?

You can call us through this number (0917) 397.9927 or email [email protected]. You can also check out our website: www.writersblockphilippines.com.

Reviews

Be the first to write a review about this course.

Write a Review

Our story started in 2009, when writers–Ana P. Santos and Nikka Sarthou-Lainez–met at a professional blogging and Internet marketing class and realized that freelance writers had many unique needs that the current landscape was not able to address.

Where do we go to find clients? How do we deal with pricing and competition? Pitching and editors? How can we build a sustainable career as a creative entrepreneur?

While school had taught us the basics of looking for story ideas, drafting news and features, and dealing with the technical realities of our craft, there were many things that we had learned only along the way–things that we felt other writers also needed to know about if they were going to pursue writing as a career.

Our passions and purpose

It is from this desire to share our knowledge and further professionalize the standards of our craft that Writer’s Block Philippines was born.

At Writer’s Block Philippines, we are passionate about words, and even more passionate about the idea that we could make a life (not just a living) doing what we love most.

Nikka had long left the corporate world to combine her two loves–travel and writing; Ana left a lucrative career in banking–foregoing the vice presidency and the designated parking space–to pursue her passion for reporting on women and gender issues and sexual health rights. ...

View Complete Profile

Creative Writing