Recommended Read
I consider myself more of a creative writing coach than a tutor as I aim to enable others to reach their own writing potential. So, I couldn’t resist buying a book of that title when I spotted it in Waterstones recently. It is one of those books that ‘speak to you’ while browsing the shelves. Author Jurgen Wolff has packed Your Writing Coach with hints, tips and advice for every level of the writing process from procrastination to production to publication and beyond.
While much of what he says has been useful for reinforcing and reevaluating what I already know, I have come across a few new ideas. I would like to share with you what he has to say about Abraham Maslow. I first came across Maslow’s theory of motivation during my years as a student teacher and applied it to the classroom situation. The theory is based on a triangular hierarchy of needs. In ascending order these are: physiological, safety (think safe-guarding), self-respect and self-actualisation. Once the lower needs are catered for a person can address the higher ones. Wolff suggests applying this theory as a plotting tool to address the characters’ needs and underpin universal themes in the storyline.
He goes on to explain how all the successful films put their characters in situations where they have to fight to survive at the basic level in order to ascend to the higher level again. (Ask yourself ‘What does your character want/need?) ‘He suggests that employing Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to your writing will enable your story to find an audience as long as it is well told. The reason behind this is that it enables the audience/reader to confront their own basic needs and learn from how others cope in such situations.
I often use the hero’s journey technique to guide my writing but will definitely give Maslow’s hierarchy a go. Another of Maslow’s ideas that I subscribe to is the phenomenon of the ‘library angel’ (or in this case the ‘bookshop angel’). This is Maslow’s explanation for why certain books jump out or speak to us while we are browsing the shelves. I am grateful to the bookshop angel who drew my attention to this particular book as it has informed both my reading and writing. I wonder if the writers of the film ‘A City of Angels’ had this theory in mind for the library scenes.
An added bonus of Your Writing Coach is the linked online chapters at www.YourWritingCoach.com. The revised edition of the book is published by Nicholas Brealey Publishing, London, 2012.
Research tips
Research tips is the theme of the session I am running for creative writers on Wednesday. One of the tips is to research or visit the setting of your story. You might remember this as the first of twelve tips in the post ’20 + 12 tips for 2012.’ The Arvon Book of Life Writing also recommends making pilgrimages to the places connected to your story be it fiction or non-fiction.
A few years ago I revisited Flatt Woods in Barnard Castle where my nana used to take my as a child. I spent many a weekend at her house and one of our favourite activities was to go down to Scarr Top where the ruins of the castle stand and follow a circular path through the woods and back to the street where she lived. She would point out plants and flowers that I should not touch such as deadly nightshade and laburnum keys. ( My paternal granda balanced this with knowledge of the names of wildflowers growing in the fields near Evenwood.)
I revisited the woods with my husband in September 2009. The visit seemed to both stir memories and heighten my senses. I jotted down things that I noticed at the time in my writer’s notebook for future use. The notes were as follows:
Phrases: Autumn came early to the woods that year, the year that Lhiannan’s father died. It was twilight here in the woods where the sun struggled to penetrate the canopy.
Sounds; pigeons/doves cooing, water tumbling/cascading over the rocks, a single raven pierced the silence/stillness with its carrion call
Smells: woodsmoke and dog turds
N.B. We passed a couple, an adult dog and pup. Dark-haired young man and a blonde girl.
A few months later I transposed the experience into the first chapter of a novel set in Teesdale in the tenth century. Excerpts include:
Autumn came early to the woods that year, the year that Fritha’s father died in the ambush of Eric Bloodaxe at Stainmore Pass. A death, which left her alone in the world except for the company of her ailing nan and Croke, the rook with a broken wing that she rescued as a fledgling.
She took a moment to stand still with her eyes closed to breath in the smell of leaf mould while soaking up the warmth of a beam of sunlight which penetrated the canopy. A whiff of wood smoke tickled her nose… As she listened to the birds cawing in the branches above, she wondered if they gathered in the rookery to tell each other stories of their ancestors from overseas …
The call of a rook pierced the silence of the woods announcing the presence of others. Before the two young people had time to react a wolfhound lumbered into view followed by a pup and Raefn Thorsson.
Recently I have been inspired to write a sequence of poems based on my father’s side of the family and hope to pay a visit to the area of the Pennines where they scraped a living. This time I’ll take a digital camera as well as a notebook.
When you make your pilgrimage or site visit consider how you can weave notes taken at the time into current work.
Not Flatt Woods but Triffidlike Trees in Skiathos
Winning Words at Barnard Castle NeST
NeST art gallery, studios, digital hub and cafe
I am delighted to announce that Barnard Castle has been chosen as one of seven Beacon Towns for the cultural olympiad’s Winning Words project. I am delivering the project from NeST art gallery on behalf of Barnard Castle Vision CIC.
The Winning Words partnership aims to encourage local communities to celebrate 2012 by participating in the creation of poetry installations across the U.K. To achieve this I am setting up a steering group of representatives from local schools, community and youth groups. We will be running workshops and competitions to find a winning poem which will be interpreted into a textile installation.
Last year I experimented with a sequence of textile poetry and developed a code for translating letters into colours and knitting word samplers. The inspiration for this came from ‘les tricoteuses’ in the opening scene of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. Following his original thread I knitted up the names of my ancestors (not for beheading by Madame Guillotine) into a bookmark shaped piece.
This idea is now being developed as a basis for Barnard Castle’s textile poetry installation which will tour local village halls and community centres before going on permanent display in NeST art gallery.
When I first explored presenting poetry in this way I had no idea that it would lead to such a significant project. I recall feeling a compulsion to pursue combining poetry with another medium and as my craft skills are limited knitting was the solution. I am pleased now that I listened to my intuition and went with the flow on this.
I encourage you to discover new ways to present your art or words. Spend some time considering what creative skills you have and dreaming up innovative combinations.
Creative Writing Skills & Techniques for Life Writers
Today was the start of a ten week course in Creative Writing Skills & Techniques for Life Writers. The course is held in a small conference centre attached to Darlington Fire Station and run on behalf of the W.E.A. The course is aimed at adults who are writing a personal, social or family history. During the next few weeks we will cover basic creative writing skills and techniques such as plotting, planning and developing a sense of both character and place. Ten of last term’s learners re-enrolled so I guess that they must have enjoyed the previous course in Life Writing for Beginners.
A new feature this term is that each session will be split into a group workshop followed by one-to-one coaching slots tailored to the individual’s needs. Workshop topics include: defining a personal project, planning a structure, writing a blurb and a biography, developing characters, deciding upon narrative voice and point of view, plotting techniques and revising for style. Writing exercises are open-ended to allow learners to adapt them to their own projects. Everyone is working towards producing a chapbook version of their project by the end of the ten weeks. It is envisaged that this will both act as a snapshot and a marketing tool for more lengthy projects. I will of course be participating in the chapbook challenge.
This week’s homework is to write a blurb for the project of between 100 and 200 words. Although it may seem a little like starting at the end, the idea is that it will enable learners to assess whether or not they have completed enough research to be able to answer the questions of ‘who, what, why, where and when’ their project is about. Try this as a way of summarising your own latest project and identifying where the gaps are. Keep it concise, clear and catchy. Your blurb is the way to hook a reader. Ask yourself if it conveys the overall message of your ‘story’.
As always with writing, read other blurbs to learn how to construct one. Find a format appropriate to both your genre and your target audience. Remember that at this stage your blurb is not set in stone. You may need to rewrite it once you’ve reached the end of your project but it should help you to focus. As always with writing, good writing is rewriting.
NeST gallery celebrates the Year of the Dragon
NeST gallery, Barnard Castle
NeST gallery in Barnard Castle has timed the launch of its new exhibition ‘The Natural World’ to coincide with celebrations for the Chinese Year of the Dragon. NeST invites you to take an ‘Artist date’ as advocated by Julia Cameron and visit the gallery on Sunday 22nd January from 4 – 6p.m. Sculptor Michael Hartley will be constructing a copper dragon in the gallery. Artists exhibiting new work in the gallery will give short talks about their creative processes and I will introduce the Japanese concept of Haiga which combines images and Haiku verse.
For the occasion I have adapted a well known poem by Issa for visitors to consider while they view the exhibition.
Once in the frame
everyone of them is equal -
the paintings.
The original refers to chess pieces in a box.
The gallery recently teamed up with Mudfog press to install a selection of poetry pamphlets to complement artwork on display. Mudfog are currently accepting submissions from new poets. See www.mudfog.co.uk.
If you would like to take up the challenge of writing haiku refer to www.britishhaikusociety.org.uk for details of their 2012 competition which closes on 31st January 2012.
I leave you with the following thoughts which I encapsulated into a contemporary haiku form for NeST’s newsletter:
be inspired
by your inner dragon
release the artist within.
Lapidus Writing Day Retreat
The next Writing Day Retreat of the Lapidus Regional Group: North Yorkshire, East Riding and North East is on Saturday 28th January 2012 from 10a.m. to 4.30p.m. Once again Cober Hill, Cloughton, Scarborough is the venue for the day. This is an opportunity to take part in a light-hearted networking event.
The morning session entitled ‘Getting to Know One Another’ is for members to share with each other about their writing and work within therapeutic environments. The afternoon session includes a ‘Writing Marathon’ facilitated by Hazel Ettridge.
Cost for the day is £10 for Lapidus members, £25 for non-members (including tea/coffee). Please bring own lunch with something to share. To secure a place send a cheque made out to KH Evans to K Evans, 45 Royal Avenue, Scarborough, YO11 2LS. Please include your contact details and whether you are a Lapidus member. Information about becoming a member and helping to develop the regional group will be available on the day.
For further information contact Kate on kateevans@tinyonline.co.uk or 01723 360628
Kate, who is a UKCP registered counsellor, is also holding a ‘Healing Words’ experiential workshop on 4th February at Scarborough Psychotherapy Training Institute, YO12 7QU. The day is an introduction to therapeutic creative writing. Kate will introduce you to the use of creative writing and poetry both for personal reflection and within a therapeutic space. The workshop starts at 9.30a.m. to 5p.m. and is suitable for health professionals who have an interest in writing and for writers who have an interest in working therapeutically. It is a taster for an up-coming Open College Network accredited course.
Cost £65 (ScPTI members) and £85 (non-members). Contact: mail@scpti.co.uk
20 + 12 tips for 2012
Happy New Year from Judith
Happy New Year to subscribers old and new from across the globe. Looking forward to the writing year ahead, I thought it might be a good idea to start with a selection of writing tips. They are in random order so that you can browse and choose the most appropriate ones to take your writing to the next level.
Twenty
Write what you want to read.
Believe in yourself, you can do it.
Strategy is the key to success.
Mine your life.
Read critically.
Do something to take you nearer to your goal.
Unite sound with vision to create light.
Read your work out loud.
Weave individual stories together to add tapestry to your writing.
Make your story turn every 4 to 6 pages.
Read what books are coming out, as they come out.
Plan, plan, plan.
List all the senses and let them into your writing.
Develop your craft by reading widely.
Read to write, write to read.
Define yourself as a writer.
Try, try and try again.
Remember, you don’t have to write in sequence.
Learn from the masters.
Just write.
And Twelve
Research or visit the setting of your story.
Create opening lines which are like portals to a whole new universe.
Make the ending of your story worthy of the beginning.
Create a scrapbook of your novel.
Get into the habit of writing every day.
Begin by deciding the shape and size of your book.
Write about reading.
Write down your ideas, thoughts, and observations.
Tackle a technical aspect of writing.
Borrow from history to give weight or realism to a plot.
Pick a time and place to write.
Be flexible in your plans.
Print them out, stick them up, use them as stimuli for reading and writing. Have fun. Leave a comment to tell myself and other readers which ones you choose and why.
Development of ideas
The Red Room
To illustrate the development of ideas in my Lanzarote inspired poem, I thought to show you some more photographs taken during my visit to Cesar Manrique’s house. The red room is the first of a series of rooms formed out of underground volcanic bubbles in the solidified lava flow from the nearby volcano. The second photograph is of the sculpture which adorns the room. There was no label to suggest what it represented but to my mind it could be a god from the Mountains of Fire.
Sculpture in the red room
Second draft of Lanzarote poem
I pulled back the blackout curtains
and opened the patio door
to a purple sky such as
I had never seen,
somewhere between lavender
and aubergine.
I marveled at the electric
storm that had passed by
unheard and unseen.
Water dripdripped from the balcony,
pooled on the flat roofs
formed puddles in the pockmarked
roads that ploughed through
the lava fields.
The lava fields
transformed by rain
into odourless loam
made my fingers twitch
with the memory of throwing
on a potter’s wheel.
I longer to pick up a piece,
mold it into obsidian knives
and cacti-shaped forks;
utensils for the god
whose anger spewed
from the mountains of fire
over two centuries ago,
creating hell on earth.
Creating hell on earth
was a family phrase
passed down the generations
from mother to daughter
as they turned flour and water
into pastry cases,
meat & veg. one end,
stewed apple the other
for men to take underground.
They left the crusts
for tunnel scavengers,
filled their pockets
with lumps of ore
to work after dark.
To work after dark
they lit tallow candles
strained by the flickering light
to chisel mineral nuggets
into polished beads
for the goddess of their hearth;
white, black, red,
green and yellow,
green, red, black,
white and yellow,
crystal chains for necks,
wrists and ankles,
binding their women
to Mother Earth.
To Mother Earth
the women sang
as they rolled up
pastry cuttings,
morphed them into
play-doh men,
brought to life by
currant substitutes
for eyes and nose.
Some were finished
with mixed peel
and glace cherries.
Others were tined
with knives and forks.
You can see how my ideas are developing by comparing this draft to the version in the previous post. I will leave it to simmer a while so that the imagery and ideas can work their way through further passageways in my mind to create the third draft.
Passageway to another room in Manrique's house
While some poems require many drafts to bring them to fruition, others arrive almost fully formed like the one written below to the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas.
Swaledale School Run
In the 12 weeks to Xmas
on the school run I did see:-
12 cows for milking
11 tractors turning
10 gritters spraying
9 pheasants sprinting
8 rabbits running
7 soldiers trudging
6 chickens straying
FIVE ROADWORKS
4 collie dogs
3 farmers
2 4x4s
and a sheep escaped from a field!
Published in Dances with Sheep (United Press:2009)
See separate blog page for further details of poems published in this pamphlet.
Artist date in Lanzarote
View through lava window
This is the view through the lava window at Cesar Manrique’s house in Lanzarote. The visit to the island was like experiencing a week-long artist date as Cesar Manrique is responsible for designing most of the visitor attractions on the island. It is impossible to escape from his influence as even the roundabouts are bedecked with his sculptures. For me, his house is the epitomy of his art. I believe that his skill was in bringing together the natural elements and features of the landscape to create a work of art. The house itself is built around five volcano bubbles with trees growing through the ‘roof’ openings. Manrique tunneled passageways between the bubbles in order to turn them into interconnecting rooms. Walking through the tunnels is like entering another world.
Passageway
For me inspiration came from the lava itself which is why I particularly like the view through the window of the lava fields and the volcano beyond. The idea of the lava flowing through the window into the house is both frightening and delightful at the same time.
Whilst on the island I woke one morning to a purple sky left behind by a passing storm. This unexpected spectacle was the trigger for me to collate thoughts which had been forming in my mind since visiting the lava fields. The rainfall had transformed the basalt into what looked like freshly turned clods of earth and the following seeds were sown.
This morning I opened the door
to a purple sky
such as I had neer seen,
somewhere between lavender
and aubergine. Marveled at
the electric storm that had passed
by unheard and unseen.
………………………………………………
Water dripdripped
from the upper balcony,
pooled on the flat roofs below,
formed puddles in the pockmarked
roads that ploughed through
the lava fields.
…………………………………………….
The rare rain transformed lava
into loam, minus the smell
of freshly turned earth.
I wanted to pick up a piece,
turn it on a potter’s wheel
and mold it into drinking
vessels for the fire gods.
………………………………………
The leftovers, I would roll
into beads for the goddess,
white, black, red, green, yellow,
green, red, black, white, yellow,
until the string was long enough
to snake around her head, neck,
wrists and ankles, binding
her to the hidden earth
……………………………………
Here I have the makings of a poem. I now need to take the time to turn this loam into a piece of word art.
I believe that the idea of binding the goddess with beads made from the minerals thrown out in a volcanic explosion must have come from the reading material I took on holiday with me. A few weeks before leaving I discovered The Griffin Mage by Rachel Neumeier, an author new to me. It proved to be the ideal read to complement the landscape in which I found myself. A wry smile escaped me when I came across a winery called El Grifo. Under the guidance of Manrique, they had adopted the griffin as their logo some years ago. The symbol now emblazons most of their bottles. If you enjoy reading fantasy, this book is a must. Not only does the story capture the imagination in a refreshing way, the book is well written. The use of verbs in some of the sentences is exquisite. I will attempt to pull off such feats of expression when I mold the above notes into a poem.
Change of writing location
Last week I challenged my adult writing class to change their writing location. Their task was to choose either a new indoor or outdoor location to write in e.g. a different room in the house, a cafe/restaurant or a park. Due to the inclement weather nobody chose to write outside. One of the students retired to her bedroom where she found silence away from the TV (the normal background music to her writing activity), and wrote about the places of interest that she likes to show visitors in Darlington. She took us on a sightseeing tour which started at the train station and ended at the brick train.
Much laughter ensued when we discovered that three of the others had found themselves writing in Darlington Memorial Hospital whilst attending various appointments. The exercise was to observe the setting for 15 minutes, then to write about it for 15 minutes. The medical environment had a major impact on one student’s writing leading her to use latin-based nouns and verbs, and to produce long, convoluted sentences. We all agreed that it was a good way to pass the time in waiting rooms.
I put a different spin on the task by writing in the car in a car park for an hour between engagements. I used the steering wheel as a lectern, put pen to paper and came up with the first draft of a story about chocolate that had been bubbling away in the back of my mind for a while. Chocolate is not my normal source of inspiration but I have noticed that several competitions next year are using chocolate as their theme and I wanted to find out what I could write on the subject. So, the writing task for me involved a change of location, a change of subject and a change of time - I tend to write rough drafts first thing in a morning rather than later in the afternoon.
On Thursday I am flying to Lanzarote, a country I last visited eighteen years ago. I must remember to pack a pen and paper to capture my thoughts and observations on location. I hope not to repeat last year’s experience of writing to pass the time away during a ten hour wait for the plane to be repaired. I’ve yet to find a use for the notice board-based poem that I came up with that day. Instead, I hope to be inspired by the volcanic landscape and the setting of artist Cesar Manrique’s house. I’ll take a few photographs to share with you upon my return.
