Surprise me!

Children’s writer Alexander Makarov, on territory of OCF “The Way Home” holds children’s jewelry and journalistic classes, so we would like to tell you about held series of workshops for unfledged writers.

Journalist and children’s writer Alexander Makarov wrote and published a dozen of books and has produced a number of articles and proses. “Mystery of old antiques”, “Kings Hobbies”, “Course of young antiquarian”, “Coins from grandfather’s chest”, “Grandpa goes to school”, “Computer programs for writers”, as well as many other writer works that can be found in Internet and on shelves of bookstores. For many years, Alexander worked at the school, where he didn’t only teach, but also founded “Childish Republic” reunion, and for his book “Grandpa goes to school” was awarded with special author’s prize. His kindness and love for children was brought by Alexander to our “Way Home” Foundation, where for three years, holds two educative disciplines. First one is – children’s jewelry studio classes where with help of the teacher, students and guests of the Foundation, learn to make handmade jewelries from simple and available materials.
Made jewelry is not “locked in the old oak chest” because – children of the Foundation are actively involved in charity exhibitions, fairs and auctions, during which anyone can buy his or her favorite trinket. All proceeds from sales of jewelries go to the needs of children department of “The Way Home”.
Second discipline that is hold by Alexander Makarov – it is a children’s journalistic classes. Jointly with the teacher, children learn how to write news articles, essays, and take photos and videos. The most interesting materials are published in periodicals that are produced by the Foundation and also go to Internet. Besides that In addition, teacher jointly with the kids, was launched a channel of video resources on YouTube, where children post their videos and a small TV shows concerning activities of “Way Home” Foundation.
Kids and guests of “The Way Home” Foundation attend pleasantly classes of writer as for jewelry classes and journalistic classes. Jewelry classes are more attractive for children of more young age, while elder children attend more journalistic classes, although all classes’ doors are open for all children. The idea is that Journalistic classes – are more for “adults”, so such classes are attended here more by those who have already decided what profession they want to have in future. By the way, it is not necessary that all pupils will become representatives of mass media, and the knowledge that was obtained during these classes will be useful for children when they will grow up. Visiting such activities teaches children how clearly to express their point of view and thoughts, to expand their horizons and to know how to find interesting facts.
At the end of February begging of March of this year, Alexander Makarov held for pupils and visitors of the Foundation, a series of workshops for beginner’s writers. First master-class from the writer is called “How to create a character that you want look like.” While communication with the audience, Alexander Makarov told about his experience of creating characters, and shared with author’s “shticks” and best practices. During the second master class, which was called “How to write a bestseller, and publish it in US”, the author gave examples of the most successful contemporary writers, and spoke about their way to glory.
“If people wanted to obtain knowledge and not emotions they would read more instructions then novels. Issues about how to attract and make reader to read the novel and fell with the main hero – I am explaining on our master-classes for those people that want to write fictional prose.
If you need to write something remarkable, remember how Ilf and Petrov avoided with very original way, any kinds of cliché thoughts. They threw away all those thoughts that have come to both. The reader starves for astonishment: Do not disappoint him. It is only one of examples. It is very important but only one! Exactly such principles have to present when you work a lot with the text and they have to cooperate with each other organically.
We teach this, while workshops, but you can only teach those who write something and plan to raise his own bar. It is not important on what level the beginner writer is now, but the fact that how he can absorb and use the new knowledge. It is the main point in any case”, – says Alexander Makarov. Audience feedback after workshops, were very positive, and the writer laid an emphasis on his plans to hold similar events in future.