I realised that recently I have been asking a lot of questions…
One of the writing exercises that I have been trying out myself and with my groups, has been to imagine emptying the pockets or bags of ourselves at a different age – then of somebody we know well & a character from a different era. The first task was to list the items from the pocket/bag. We then asked the character these questions; Where have you been, where are you going next? After this, we brainstormed a list of questions relating specifically to the items on the list – asking the character directly, thus writing in the 2nd person. This is a really interesting exercise, both for life writing and character/story. It may also start to take the shape of a poem. You may or not decide to include the answers to the questions in the same piece. See how the questions look and feel on their own to begin with. Try this exercise yourself, keep the pen moving – set the clock for ten minutes each time.
I have also been asking questions about the direction of Creative Writes and as a result, I am delighted to announce that I have the first Creative Writes Assistant, Lanna Ford – who will be working with me until end of July on a voluntary basis. Lanna will be supporting the administration & marketing of the company and will attend the Spring/Summer Creative Writes workshops as a guest and become part of our writing community. Here’s a word from Lanna & do take a look at her website: http://www.lannaford.co.uk/
Hello, I’m Lanna and I’m very excited to be starting this role as Creative Writes Volunteer. I work as a reflexologist in the local area and at Neal’s Yard Remedies in Borough Market. I love my job but I also love writing and I came across this role while looking for workshops. It sounded like the perfect opportunity for me to learn more about creative writing whilst also contributing and getting involved with something wonderful in my local community.
The regular programme of Creative Writes Workshops is open for anyone aged 18 and over, you simply need an open mind.
Interestingly, the work outside of this programme is taking me increasingly into workshops with older people. I facilitated my first taster workshop for the Charity Central & Cecil (C&C) who manage Sheltered accommodation and Care homes. The workshop with a group in a Sheltered venue last week was an absolute delight – I haven’t laughed so much in a long time! We have a series of dates scheduled for the summer in the Care homes and Sheltered venues, which I am really looking forward to and will be darting across London and beyond…
Our Creative Writes Myriad of Objects Workshop returns this week & it’s almost a full house at North Bank in Muswell Hill. We will start with personal story and move on to character work and fiction – using a rather random selection of objects to inspire us! Our Themed Workshops continue on the last Wednesday evening of each month up to and including July & our first Summer Surgery is on the afternoon of Saturday 21 June:
https://www.creativewrites.co.uk/p/bookings-workshop-info-how-to-book.html
Bye for now!
Nichola