Frequently Asked Questions

I’m a beginner and I want to be a writer. / I have always dreamed of being a writer but pursued more “important” and financially lucrative education and careers than writing. / I’m a blocked writer. How can you help me?
The Designed by Words Writers Workshop was conceived with the beginning writers in mind. We are a small group of writers and editors who love writing, literature and reading and aim to help others appreciate and practice all three. We are full time writers and part-time teachers.

We offer introductory courses on feature writing, travel writing, personal essay writing and poetry appreciation. We also have themed creative writing classes and special courses, depending on availability of the course materials and lecturers.

As a beginning writer, you can attend any of these courses to explore and begin your writing journey. The classes are intended to serve as a jump-off point and as a guide for you to pursue your writing dreams. It is up to you to continue writing using lessons learned in class and engage in meaningful and doable writing projects on your own.

I want to be a writer but I don’t know how to start. What steps should I take before attending your classes?
The first thing you should do is ask yourself why you want to write. Is your intention simply to express yourself through words or to earn money and make a career out of it? Do you love reading and was inspired to write a book, etc.?

Then, identify what kind of writing you intend to do:
1.    Have you been journaling or blogging diligently and want to take it to the next level? Then you can do so by exploring writing personal essays.

2.    Do you like writing about topics other than yourself—like gardening, movies, your profession, etc.? Perhaps you might want to try feature writing and find out how magazine articles are written.

3.    Do you want to write the history of your ancestral house, your illustrious grandmother or just your family history? Maybe you can combine personal essay with feature writing (profiles) to write your family history, your personal book or keepsake for your children and grandchildren to read later.

Knowing all these will give you a better direction than just saying you want to be a writer.

Bear in mind also that usually, writers have an audience—the readers—so you must be ready also for your work to be read when you publish them sometime in the future.

How long is the duration of your classes? What kind of writing programs do you have?
Foremost, we offer recreational writing classes only—which means, you take the class as a hobby the way you enrol yourself in a yoga, flower arranging or cupcake-making class.

Classes usually run as a one half-day session or two sessions/meetings. We are not a formal school and we do not issue diplomas and degrees—we encourage you to take a graduate degree from UST, UP, DLSU and other schools with longer and more formal programs for that. One of our former students, Katy, is happily enrolled at the UST and we’re so proud of her.

Also, if you’re looking for a formal, academic-based mentorship, you can take any of the summer writing workshops offered by the top schools wherein students attend workshops for a week or two.

What is your teaching style?
We at DBW offer gentle guidance and practical, realistic advice in writing. Our classes are becoming more student-centered—we balance the lectures with writing exercises and teacher-feedback during the class. We have mini-workshops during class—you read to the rest of the class what you’ve written and we help you identify what is the strength of your piece and what needs to be improved. Doing so will also help your fellow students how to analyze other people’s works too. Don’t be afraid in reading your work in class; we don’t bite. Read what one of our students have to say, here.

I would like to enrol my son/daughter/nephew/niece/etc.  Do you have an age requirement?
Yes. Our students should be 21 years old and older since we offer adult education classes. We are geared towards people who are interested to write but did not take up or did not have access to writing/journalism courses way back in college. So young professionals, mid-career, retirees, teachers, homemakers and the like are very much welcome to attend.

Do you have one on one mentoring or tutorial for people who can’t attend your classes? How about classes by email or online?
As of now, we do not have one on one mentoring classes or online classes yet.

Do you offer fiction writing classes?
No. Our writing programs are currently focused on creative non-fiction, feature writing and poetry appreciation.

 -As of October 2011, we will be having our very first fiction writing class. For more details, please read the press release on “Telling Tales: Introduction to the Short Story” here and its own Frequently Asked Questions here.

I don’t see travel writing or art writing being offered this month. When are they scheduled?
Our calendar of classes is seasonal and depends on the availability of the module, lecturer, and venue plus other factors. Usually, we focus on specific courses for each month, without a strict pattern on which one to offer.

Please check our website/blog for updates on the latest schedules. The bulk of our classes for 2010 will be offered in April and May. The classes will be closed the rest of the year unless otherwise stated.

I want a special topic like fashion writing, creative writing for bloggers, etc. Can you offer these classes too?
If you can gather a group of like-minded individuals interested in these specialized topics, we can put it in our list of classes to develop in the coming years. Drop us an email at dbw.workshops@gmail.com and tell us what you want to learn more about.

I plan to give a writing class as a gift to my boss, girlfriend/boyfriend, sister, etc. Do you have a gift voucher? How do I register him/her?
To avail of the gift voucher, you will be the one registering and paying the enrollment fee on his/her behalf.  Payments are usually made via bank deposit. We will then send your recipient a registration form, an email informing him/her of the gift from you, and the actual gift card/voucher to you and your recipient via courier. Please check the calendar for classes being offered for the month.

How do I register for the class? When do I make my payment?
To register in any of our classes, request for a registration form at dbw.workshops@gmail.com. Fill out the form and send it back to us. Pay the workshop fee on or before the deadline via bank deposit (BDO). Confirm your payment by texting or emailing us. Complete payment terms are on the registration form.

Do you offer discounts?
Yes, we offer an early bird discount of 10% for classes with two sessions. Regular rates apply to our themed writing classes, writing better descriptions class and the like which are all held in one session (half-day) only.

I can’t make it to the bank to pay my workshop fee. Can I pay on the day of the class instead?
No. We no longer accept payments on the day of the class. Please pay early to reserve your seat.

Do you accept walk-ins and sit-ins?
No.

Do you have special offers, events or projects for students and alumni?
Occasionally, yes we do. These include mini-writing contests, writing prompts, call for submissions to our blog, alumni discounts and free classes, book launches, writing tips and announcements, and more.  These are announced via our mailing list (exclusive offers) or our blog and twitter sites.

We are in the process of creating more avenues for our students’ works as well as opportunities to learn more about writing. We love to keep in touch and hear all about our students so expect us to say hi from time to time.

Can you help me write / edit my book?
Occasionally, yes. This depends on the requirements of the author. A writing and editing fee will be charged depending on the project. Please email us at dbw.workshops@gmail.com for inquiries. Indicate details about your book project—what kind, deadlines, how you want us to help you, etc.