Life Writing

It was an emotional class last week. Our homework had been to write the first 600 words of our own memoir. It was a real challenge. My own life story would read like a soap opera, with twists, turns and ridiculous decisions illuminating my history like cheap tinsel and gaudy baubles on a secondhand christmas tree.  This was clearly not a direction I wanted to take in writing class where I like to portray myself as a sophisticated, slightly mysterious woman of the world.  I'm afraid I cheated. No 600 word intro leading on to bigger things. Instead I drafted a 40 line poem about my children who really are the closest thing I have to a redeeming feature.

My class mates were far braver. I feel privileged that they chose not to cheat and instead answered the teacher's brief. The work read out loud was powerful and simple. Every writer stripped themselves bare, revealing things that you wouldn't usually show to people you barely know.. It was raw and emotional. Focusing. A reminder that outside your own little world there are other people living, feeling, crying, laughing.

Life writing. I have never given it proper consideration. From now on I will.

My First Published Piece...

Many thanks to onefortyfiction.com for being the first to publish a piece of my work. Yay.

The name “one forty fiction” refers to the 140-character limit imposed on users by Twitter. It is the 21st century haiku.  It's not as easy as one might think but it certainly stretches the old brain cells.

This has been a real confidence boost for me, out of acorns and all that. Watch out world, I'm on my way!

The Fishermen.

An Ode to my Husband

When you’re near the stars shine brighter

You are my moon, my sun, my day

When you’re near my heart feels lighter

I wouldn’t have it any other way

Happy Valentine's Day to one and all.

Remember, according to Darwin; 

'Marriage - it's better than a dog.'

She ain't heavy, she's my Novella..

This week our homework was to write a short story for teenagers. Eek. I've found a genre that simply isn't for me. Not yet anyway. Maybe when my kids get a bit older and I have an insight into teen culture from their perspective. For now I think I'll stick to what I enjoy, that is short stories and my burgeoning novella.

Yes I dare call it that now. It's taken on a life of it's own and I'm well past the 21k word mark. Even with ruthless editing it is clearly beyond a long, short story. It has been a voyage of discovery but I haven't been travelling alone. My characters have their own clear ideas of where they want to go, I just need to keep up with them. From time to time the muse deserts us all but going to class where I hear other people's writing and get set new exercises provides inspiration time and time again.

I guess that adult education is another form of 'salon'. We listen, share, inspire and support each other. Feedback from the teacher, who is herself a published author, is invaluable. We even manage to squeeze in a glass of wine after our session.

I'll sign out today with this wonderful quote;

I know that the best stories are those that are still untold -
so keep writing, keep creating, keep the faith. - COLUM McCANN