Workshops given by Amy Z. Chan
The Keys to Kissing Stories with Kishōtenketsu: An Introduction and Practical Guide for Romance Writers
An introduction to the no-conflict story structure behind popular manga, anime, video games and East Asian Dramas tailored for romance writers writing in markets more accustomed to equating conflict as story. Learn to identify and utilize this no-conflict-necessary story structure with examples drawn from globally popular multimedia examples (film, manga/anime, etc). Expand your concept of story and add to your writer’s toolbox by learning how to use this structure as a tool for planning, plotting, and revising stories plotted to a more traditional three-act structure and to Gwen Hayes’s Romancing the Beat.
45-60 minutes, but can be expanded with in-workshop writing exercises. Click here for a Workshop Outline (links to a google PDF).
Seeing through the Mediocrity of the Male Gaze: How we can write differently with the Female Gaze.
How does invisible misogyny and unspoken patriarchy show up in the stories we tell? This introductory workshop looks at the male gaze and how it subtly shapes the way we tell stories. We'll explore how a specific type of masculinity has advanced a limited view of gender that harms both women and men, while disregarding the full range of human experiences. We'll introduce the idea of the female gaze—not just as the opposite of the male gaze, but as a more open, transformative way to approach storytelling. You’ll also see examples of stories that break away from traditional gender roles, creating complex female characters, showing positive masculinity, and telling stories that are more authentic, inclusive, and real. We'll also look at how one country has not only commercially successfully exported stories that center the female-gaze but also created superfans beyond language and culture (K-Dramas!) By the end of the workshop, writers will have a better understanding of how gender is portrayed in the media, giving them the tools to create stories that challenge the status quo and offer more inclusive, genuine perspectives.
60-90 minutes.
Please send an email to amy at amyzchan dot come for more info!