In the current modern era, writing is a skill with limitless potential on the right hand. To salvage this potential, Universitas Dian Nuswantoro (Udinus) hosted a Creative Writing public lecture.
The event, entitled ‘Making Money through Creative Writing,’ was hosted in the auditorium on the seventh floor of the H building at Udinus. It took place on Tuesday, May 11th, 2024. The public lecture was participated by hundreds of students, particularly those from the Communication Science Department at Udinus. These students were in their second semester, with the event being a part of the Creative Writing course. It features two speakers, who were also novelists.
The event opened with a speech delivered by Dr. Ahmad Zainul Fanani, Ssi., M.Kom., (the Vice Dean I of the Academic Affairs of the Computer Science Faculty). During his speech, he responded to the event in a positive manner. According to him, students needed to be taught important skills despite still being in their early studies. In this case, the aforementioned skills were excellent writing skills that can be sold commercially.
“What a spectacular event featuring famous novelists! We expect this event to inspire students to be creative writers. This is because these students will eventually require writing abilities to write proposals and scientific articles. Hopefully, this event can be beneficial for us by allowing students to earn money using their writing skills,” he revealed.
The show continued with a public lecture in the form of a talk show. It featured Handi Namire —the author of The Sky of Human—and Astrida Hara—the author of Marriage with Benefit. The event was moderated by Naiza Rosalia, M.Si., a faculty member from the Communication Science Department.
Strategies to Be a Successful Writer
As the first speaker, Handi Namire—an author who got her novel adapted into an online drama series—stated that beginners did not have to meet itheir beginning at writing novels. The keys laid in ideas from various ways. The most common and closest way to get ideas is from one’s experience and restlessness.
“If we were to feel that our lives are too dull, we could also take from others’ experiences and tales surrounding us. In addition, you can also watch films or read books, daydreaming, dreaming, and taking inspiration from historical events,” she explained.
THE SPEAKER: Handi Namire presented her personal experience to students of the Communication Science Faculty in the Auditorium located on the seventh floor of the H building at Udinus.
“There are many platforms on the Internet for students to try. Those platforms include Wattpad, KBM, and GWP. Writing through these platforms can gather base readers. Alternatively, one can also participate in writing contests. This is among the quickest ways to test your writing abilities and boost your confidence” Handi uttered.
An Opportunity to Write Creatively
Following that, the learning materials were presented by a novelist named Astrid through both offline and Zoom meetings. On that occasion, Astrid highlighted how creative writing could be an opportunities. The opportunities encompassed expanding one’s relations and meeting many people.
“You will eventually unlock the opportunity to meet writer, reader, literature enthusiasts, and publisher communities. Thence, you can learn from social writers, as well as printing and distributing books simultaneously across the globe. Students must also be confident and initiative,” Astrid, who currently works in Los Angeles, USA, stated.
Astrid also informed the types of publishers in the USA. The publishers encompassed traditional, independent, vanity, and self-publish platforms. The public lecture was continued with a discussion session involving students. At the session, the students enthusiastically tossed questions at the speakers.
With this public lecture, students are expected to develop their writing skills and utilize these skills as a living. (Humas Udinus/Ika. Foto: Humas Udinus)
