Reading and Writing

On By TomIn General, Insight, Poetry2 Comments

Last night for the first time I attended a recital at a local library.  It was an informal affair with an audience of about 25 – 30.  In attendance were a couple of the writers from our writing class which meets on a Tuesday evening.  Our tutor was there too, so at least he’s now been able to hear my poetry. 

I took along a short story and three poems of my own choosing.  They were distinctly different, being about reincarnation, Stonehenge and finally the spirit of a dead soldier saving comrades.  I was pleased I’d spent a couple of hours polishing what I thought were already decent pieces of verse.  It taught me for the umpteenth time never to be totally satisfied with my work.  I tend to be like that anyway with my art work.  (As seen on my portfolio albums in Facebook)

Suffice to say I enjoyed listening to the efforts of the others who read out their work and I enjoyed reading my own to a live and intimate audience.  At least now I know what to expect the next time… and there will be a next time.

Write on…

On By TomIn General, Insight

I started at the Creative Writing class in the local Arts Centre again on Tuesday evening.  I enjoyed the term I did at the end of last year and it’s good to be in the company of like-minded people, even if it’s only for a couple of hours once a week.  I strongly recommend a class or a writing group.   

We already know that we will be spending the final three sessions in March actually reading a story we’ve put together over the course of the classes.  I’ve started a piece about the plight of a stranded UN soldier in an African country during a riot.  The knowledge that I’ll be reading out the finished product to other writers will make me work harder on the story.

I am so far managing to keep up with my plan to keep at least three short stories on the go at any one time.  Immediately I post a short story to a competition I detach myself from it and get another idea going as soon as possible.  I am finding it more of a challenge to write about a variety of topics.  Keeping to one genre is an insufficient exercise for a writer’s mind in my opinion.