In the morning Michael Blackburn; poet and writer, and lecturer at Lincoln University (www.artzero.org.uk/ and http://michaelblackburn.posterous.com/ ) ran a workshop entitled 'Creative Writing and the Internet'. It was a refreshing change to be part of a writing workshop where the males outnumbered the females! Michael's workshop was split into two parts. Firstly a creative writing exercise to get us all thinking about the process of writing, and then a tour of the Internet.
For the exercise, we all discussed the line; The Smell Of My Suitcase Is Making Me Cry; what the line made us feel, and what it could mean. We all attempted to write exactly 50 words following on from that first line. This highlighted the need to keep language simple.
If nothing more, the morning started the cogs moving again and I also managed a bit of 'networking'. Following on from the day I have started to think seriously about the direction of my blog....
In the afternoon the Lincolnshire Poet Laureate; Joel Stickley (http://www.joelstickley.com/ and see( http://thelincolnite.co.uk/2011/04/lincolnshire’s-first-poet-laureate-is-named/ ) ran a poetry workshop. Poetry - we learnt - is essentially playing a game with language and rhythm.
In an attempt to produce ideas for a poem, the group agreed 4 very different headings and then produced a list of related words under each. Our 4 words were; Railways, Food, NHS and Dreams. Each attendee then attempted a poem based on the lists. After being moved out of our original room we ended up in a little theatre I had no idea existed - The Collection has some great resources - and this led to an impromptu 'Open Mic' without the mic! What we heard was all of a high standard. I only wish mine had been somewhere near finished!
A fantastic day which left me with a pounding head but loads of ideas...
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