Sunday 24 February 2008

RUNNING A FLASH WRITING WORKSHOP

Yesterday morning I spent three hours in the company of eleven seriously buzzy writers, taking a Flash Fiction Workshop for The South, a writing organisation based in Brighton.

Link to The South HERE

My objectives were to send the participants away with some new tools in their 'writer's toolbox'. To revisit the elements of fiction, and look how the focus sharpens for flash fiction. To send them away with at least three strong pieces of writing for them to work on, and market information so they could, if they wished, submit them for consideration. And to show them how flashwriting as a process is a fantastic tool in itself for writing in general.

It was a very busy session, and I was delighted at the results. Particularly the look on almost every face, when, after the fist exercise . (SO simple, SO easy to do) they said 'Wow. That is simply extraordinary. I don't write like that, normally..."

The images, connections, the prose... all surprised them.. And me!

If I have one single phrase that pushes me on it's this:

"If your writing doesn't surprise you, then it sure as hell ain't going to surprise anyone else..."

In the end, half the group stayed on with me after the session officially finished. We were having such a good time. I tell you... I will never be rich at this game. But I will be happy.

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