Yesterday marked an enjoyable event for many writer’s in my own community and I was honoured to attend. Emerging novelist thanks to the living biography of Sanctuary: The Story of Naturalist Mary Majka
And, boy, what a day of word play! Never before did I attend a workshop where people furiously wrote about such simple things like “bread” for 10 minutes and plead for more at the end. More often do I look up to ponder and see people staring out the window, wiggly anxiously in their seats, tapping their pen/pencil nervously – you’ve heard that light, hollow tip-tip-tiptip before. Not this time. This day was filled with people instead complaining of sore wrists from good ol’ fashioned hand-writing.
Deborah did wonders to make people feel relaxed, welcomed and grateful to be there. I won’t mention her adventurous actions a few of us caught out of the glimpse of our eye but were too “polite” to mention.
I don’t think there was a person who left that room without many starts to something magnificent, including the realization that much can be done in 15 minutes. A lot more than starting at a blank screen or page, being distracted by the possibility of a new useless, or otherwise useful, update on Facebook.
You’re busy – we get that. Everyone is but to call yourself a writer and not find time to write should be criminal. Deborah Carr showed us how to follow a law all writer’s should in being able to write something everyday. Of course I won’t give away all of her secrets or else you won’t attend her workshops in person but she is definitely someone worth meeting if you plan to write or even write to plan. If you love words even half as much as I do the price tag of attending any of her workshops is miniscule compared to the wealth of fun you’ll create.
This edition is feeling more like a sales pitch than I like (and, I promise, I don’t receive commission for referrals – although maybe I should – made out to Sarcastic Butland) but I’m still in awe at how much I wrote today, even while completely exhausted.
Not to sound like Sesame Street but this WordPlay event was brought to us by the wonderful Support to Single Parents.
Thank you to all involved in this wonderful day and thank you for reading,
Sarah Butland
My Dear Sarcastic Butland,
I could not have said it betterr. The Workshop was fantastic and I, who normally prefer to write at leasure, found myself so inspired by Deborah, that I could not help but write furiously, without thought to why I ‘should’ write about, but just wrote from my heart. That is how inspiring Deborah was. And poetry? Who would have known that I actually have a love of poetry – that again is something Deborah was able to ‘pull’ out of me.
Thank you for posting this – I hope Deb sees it and realizes how many of us she touched yesterday.
From: Sensitive Louise
Sarcastic? I didn’t think so. More like a searcher, I think, but that’s only my opinion.
I had a wonderful day also. Just loved all the little tricks and exercise. Definitely going to do some of her suggestions. I don’t usually share but found myself doing so with ease. That in itself surprised me. 🙂
Loved your post.
Thinker
Thank you so much for the rave reviews, ladies! I’m so very pleased that you all enjoyed the day, found value in the exercises and felt at ease with sharing some of the surprises that you unearthed with your writing.
And I’m absolutely delighted that everyone was so willing to jump right in and try new things.