Wednesday 17 January 2007

A Writer's Journey

The first session of the creative writing course was this morning at the library - and there were so many of us that we are splitting into two classes for the rest of the term. Lyn Webster runs the course, under the auspices of Bristol University - and she must be doing something right, as several people in the class have been to previous classes she's taught.
I took the course last term. I was encouraged to try types of writing that I hadn't considered trying before, which boosted my confidence when I found that I could write differently, and it was great to be able to talk about writing to other people on the same journey as me. The group varies widely in experience, from a couple who haven't written anything in twenty years to people who have published non-fiction works, and a lot in between. This time there are several poets in the class, as well as the lady who runs the Hay Writers' Circle, who is looking for new ideas for her group to try.
This session, we were asked to think about the audience for our writing, and if it makes a difference when you are writing for a particular person, a wider audience, or just for yourself.