The Art of Storytelling: José Lourenço Unpacks the Short Story at Carmel College

The Art of Storytelling: José Lourenço Unpacks the Short Story at Carmel College

What sparks a narrative? How do dreams translate into fiction, and what hurdles do writers face when moving between languages?

To answer these questions and inspire the next generation of campus authors, the Department of English hosted a special interactive guest lecture titled ‘How to Write a Story’ on 11 September 2026. Renowned writer and civil engineer José Lourenço engaged students with insights from his own creative journey.

The session was designed to align with core academic and skill-development goals:

• Decoding the Process: Understanding the foundational steps involved in conceptualizing and drafting a short story.

• Creative Techniques: Exploring practical strategies and exercises to unlock creative writing.

• The Role of Translation: Examining how linguistic choices and translation influence narrative voice, particularly when shifting from Konkani to English.

The programme opened with a warm welcome extended to the resource person by Vice Principal Ms. Aldina Braganza, followed by a formal introduction delivered by Dr. Glenis Mendonça.

From Dreams to Diaries: The Creative Process

Mr. Lourenço offered a fascinating look into his personal creative routine. He emphasized the importance of recording dreams, noting how subconscious imagery often fuels great art. To illustrate this point, he played three iconic songs—including 'Yesterday' by the Beatles—pointing out that they, too, were born from dreams.

Bringing his writing process to life, Mr. Lourenço shared physical artifacts of his craft: actual notebooks and diaries filled with handwritten notes. He offered a memorable piece of advice to budding writers: never throw away the paper you write on, as even discarded fragments can hold immense value down the road.

José Lourenço during his presentation.

Language, Translation, and Community

The discussion also touched upon the nuances of linguistic translation, particularly the challenges and rewards of translating stories from Konkani into English while preserving cultural authenticity.

To encourage further reading and writing, Mr. Lourenço generously distributed copies of his book, Fever and Other Stories, among the students. The engaging talk concluded with a lively Q&A session where students posed questions about plotting, character development, and publishing. Dr. Brian Mendonça proposed the formal vote of thanks.

José Lourenço with staff and students.