Lyceum – through wildwood, through water

August 2, 2025August 3, 2025

Lyceum Notes: Thoughts on World-building, Suspension of Disbelief and Subjectivity

Suspension of disbelief, subjectivity and world-building have always been coiled together in a single kernel for me. It evokes for me the Kelantanese Mak Yong where the narrator/performer gets the audience to suspend disbelief by just placing one foot on the stage and saying, “Now I am stepping into Kayangan”. That was his world-building, his … Continue reading Lyceum Notes: Thoughts on World-building, Suspension of Disbelief and Subjectivity

August 26, 2024December 24, 2024

Lyceum Notes: On Being a Plantser

I’ve been a plotter, I’ve been a pantser. But at the end of the day I realise I am just a plantser and would like to reject binaries. All stories are different. The way you write each one is different. Sometimes the planning comes first. Sometimes the impulse comes first, like an earworm or an … Continue reading Lyceum Notes: On Being a Plantser

August 18, 2024December 24, 2024

Lyceum Notes: Seeking the Balance as a Creative Writing Educator

I return to my planned series of posts about creative writing based on my experience as an editor, writer and creative writing educator for over a decade. I’m no longer teaching creative writing because of the programme restructuring over at my Centre; I teach literature, literacy, and popular culture courses for MA and PhD students … Continue reading Lyceum Notes: Seeking the Balance as a Creative Writing Educator

July 12, 2024December 24, 2024

Lyceum Notes: Abundance and Story-seeds

Hello, Since I’m not teaching creative writing again for the foreseeable future (I mostly teach Masters courses these days and they’re all Literacy or Literature-based), I decided to share some tips, pointers and notes from the creative writing classes I’ve been teaching at both the BA and MA level since 2011. Today’s tip is how … Continue reading Lyceum Notes: Abundance and Story-seeds