Writing task for session 4 - Monday 14th April

TASK: Write a piece of DESCRIPTIVE WRITING with the title "Returning Home.”
Try to include metaphor and allusion. Play with the perspective; it can be from any character’s viewpoint.

Read the short extracts from Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino and If nobody speaks of remarkable things by Jon McGregor.


OR...If you really do not like the idea above, choose one of the ideas from the link below.

Some things to remember about descriptive writing

Appeal to senses
Use imagery (similes and metaphors)
Be allusive
Reflect and make connections with life issues
Make personal connections, think about what this reminds you of
Tell a story through description
Observe closely
Find your voice
Focus on the detail and the whole
Think about tone: humour, sarcasm, joy, humility, and sadness
Reflect on how the charachter feels

Ideas for topics for descriptive writing from:
http://wwwfp.education.tas.gov.au/English/writers.htm

Feedback guidelines for session 3

Consider the following when talking about your writing and giving feedback:

The task was to make effective use of powers of observation and to appeal to the senses:

• sources of inspiration
• process of writing – where, when, how?
• techniques experimented with
• influences from other sources/writers
• effectiveness of description - observation and senses evoked

Reminder for session 3

Hello!
Room 202 for our third meeting on Monday 10th March, at 12.00.

Bring with you copies of everyone's contribtuions to this session for intial discussion.

Please, Madalena ("A story of the past" ) and Inês ( "In good spirit"), as you missed the feedback from last time, perhaps you could give each other feedback on your Christmas writing at the meeting.

Fantastic News!!!! We will be joined by Janice Russell from the creative writing competition in a session to be arranged very soon.

See you Monday. Please e-mail me if you cannot come. allyson.roberts@mail.telepac.pt

Thanks
Allyson

Creative Writing Competition

Take a look at this!!!

Network Short Story Competition

The Network Short Story Competition is here – it’s open to anyone living in Portugal, so please take the opportunity to get the creative juices flowing and support this first time venture.

Stories can be on any theme, with a maximum word count of 2000 words. Entries cost 5 euros and will be judged by Jenny Grainer, writer, journalist and tutor in Creative Writing, and Lisa Selvidge, who tutors in Creative Writing in the Algarve and online with the University of East Anglia. Entries will need to be in the English language for this first year, and need to be received by March 31st.

The winning story will receive 100 euros worth of book vouchers, sponsored by Network, the Magna Carta Bookshop, and the Griffin Bookshop. The event is supported by the Portugal News who will publish the winning entry. Winners will be announced on 23rd April 2008, international book day.

For more details and application form, please e-mail :netpres@networkalgarve.org,ring Janice Russell on 915 584 668,ask at the Griffin or Magna Carta bookshop,or download the form by clicking here.

Second meeting review

A brief review of the session on January 28th:
1. We shared experiences of producing our 1st piece of writing:

•sources of inspiration
•process of writing – where, when, how?
•time taken
•redrafts – how many? What edit in and out
•feelings when writing it
•feelings in general to the whole process – going public
•your identity and how it changed
•feelings about the product – what/change?

2. Giving and taking feedback/criticism (handouts available at next session).

“The problem lies in knowing how to take it and what to do with it.”

We need to:

• establish a distance from our writing.
• let go of experiences, ideas, words, feelings which feed our writing.

Feedback/criticism :

• becomes a source of inspiration, a breath of fresh air, a second wind, by breathing new life into our work and giving new perspectives .
• is practical and practicable.

3. Giving feedback

Individual feedback of what we enjoyed about each piece of writing led to the following discussion:

Watch this space > " ...... "

It was decided NOT to comment on language mistakes, whether native or foreign language. Use the suggested links in this blog for checking language use. Any for Portuguese? Please send links to allyson.roberts@mail.telepac.pt

4. Task for next meeting:

A descriptive piece of writing - no need to be a story, which requires powers of observation and appeals to the senses.

• a journey from home to work/university
• leaving somewhere
• a short trip

This can be seen through the eyes of characters or as pure description.

This link gives you food for thought on setting and context.

http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/creative/shortstory/index.html#setting

Post your writing in Sprial Bound blog.

NEXT MEETING- March 3rd, 12.00 - 14.00. room to be confirmed.

'baby' blog for creative writing

The place to post your creative writing is in the 'baby' blog, called Sprial Bound, found at http://spiralboundcreativity.blogspot.com/. To be invited to this blog, send your e-mail to allyson.roberts@mail.telepac.pt

As the Spiral Bound group grows in size we will make another 'baby' blog of creative writers. The optimum size for these small writing groups is about six.

You can post your writing in either Portuguese or English. Our next meeting will be on Monday 28th at 12.00 in room 202.

First Meeting

Welcome those who came to the first meeting on Monday 17th December, spoken in both Portuguese and English, as each desired, and hello to those yet to arrive.


After an initial introduction on how the group could work, we set off down the road to finding out why we are all interested in joining a creative writing group. Reasons and desires ranged to include the aspiration of becoming a writer, of being able to express self through creative writing and poetry, exploring a topic from differing perspectives, learning techniques of creative writing, and learning through and from others in the group.

We decided to set up an initial small blog (soon to be announced) to link to this main Writer's Den blog, in which our creative writing can be posted.


We looked at Stephen King's approach to editing his work after a 1st draft from his book; On Writing, a memoir of the craft (2000).

Given Christmas is approaching, we read Moira Andrew's poem which takes the form of a letter the nativity: Mary's Christmas. We also have a short story to read over the holidays; No Room in the Inn, by Katherine Paterson.

Both these Christmas texts may help to inspire us for our first writing task:
and this is it!

Write anything that associates in any way with the theme of Christmas. There you go! Open, with lots of room to move - prose or poetry.

Those at the meeting will post their writing in the new blog (soon to be announced). Feedback the first time will be face-to-face at the next meeting. Each person in the group is to bring with them comments on 3 of these pieces of work.


Next meeting: Monday January 28th @ 12.00, room to be confimed.

Happy writing and a very HAPPY CHRISTMAS.