NOW THEN! CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP

I attended this workshop today as part of the Morley Literature Festival.  It was run by Emma Adams who helped the group to experiment with words in the 'story in 3 hours' challenge.  The different methods she utilised to get our creative juices flowing were:

Music - she played three classical tunes and asked us to write what the music told us
Sensory - we each chose a different item of foodstuff and using our senses wrote an inspired piece
Memory - she asked us to remember words we heard spoken this morning and choose them to start a piece of writing
Visual - we each chose an object/s to utilise a memoir, fiction or anthing in between imagining ourselves with the object and addressing each of the following points: Where are you?  What is above you?  What is to your left?  What is to your right?  What is below your feet?  Are you with anyone else?  What is happening or could happen next?

She then explained about the now then! website which will be featuring work from writers in association with Morley and said that anyone is welcome to contribute.  She also gave some fantastic information on helpful websites and competitions/opportunities available.  We finished by sharing some of our work in a fun and supportive way.

I had a fantastic day and want to send a huge thank-you to Emma, Jenny and Maria for arranging this stimulating workshop.

Here is a piece I wrote today inspired by the Sensory exercise:

Under your skin

The tang of bittersweet memories lie on her tongue
like a secret too painful to share.
The points of the ends rise towards the sky
praying to a Deity that never hears.
Green means new life or mistakes of old
and both mirror distances past.
If you touch it can bleed.
Seep through your fingers and staining,
leaving evocative rivers of absolution
washing away impotent guilt.
Like you it will wither in sunlight,
turn brown in disparate places.
Some that will show and others hidden,
unless you want them to be seen.
It balances precariously on the surface,
not quite flat but curved in on itself.
Shadows leaching away from its centre
blurring at the edges.
You could immerse it and change
its purpose in this life,
in turns sweet or sour or both.
But that would take a decision
and setting it free
from the prison under your skin.