By Matt Hodgkinson | In My Cultural Life Magazine
This short story writing workshop was held in the gallery room above the Troubador restaurant/delicatessen on the Old Brompton Road – a light airy space with a relaxed feel, perfect for a group of ten or so. The workshop was hosted by Tonya Blowers, a writing tutor with a wealth of experience and blessed with that seemingly natural capacity to put people immediately at their ease. Tonya’s enthusiasm and gentle coaxing, coupled with her infectious love of language and interest in the thoughts and opinions of the group made for a light environment in which everyone was happy to contribute.
The workshop began with the question ‘What is a story?’ and this was left bubbling away in the brain as we moved on to look at some six word stories.
‘For sale: baby shoes, never worn.’ These words, were once described by Ernest Hemingway as his best work. The Guardian challenged some contemporary writers to be as economical and we discussed their offerings before using one as the starting point for our own fifty word story.We took turns to read out what we had written, although there was no pressure to do so, before moving on to a discussion of our own offerings.
After a break for lunch we went back to write a six word story based on a selection of hats people had brought in with them - this might fall into the ‘you had to be there’ category but trust me, it worked – and then opened this out into another fifty word story. This time these were not read, instead we talked about short stories in general and particularly how so few words can fire the imagination by offering a fleeting glimpse of a much larger whole.
This structural technique whereby the day was kept unpredictable and unrepetitive ensured that proceedings remained very light. Whilst there was always enough in terms of form to ensure that the workshop was far from frivolous, at no point did it feel laboured or too dense. This was very much a day to reignite inspiration, to relearn one’s enthusiasm for language, one’s passion for writing, not a day for wrestling with writer’s block and other such demons.
The workshop was also very nicely paced and seemed to move and change organically with our responses to exercises and our thoughts in general. The day offered time and space to rediscover the simple pleasure of being read to and to give free rein to the imagination. Like a leisurely prepared meal, things were left simmering away, fragrant aromas whetting the appetite for the time when everything was to come together and the feast enjoyed. And so it was when we came to the final writing exercise of the day…
This last piece of writing was left open. Write what you have been wanting to write was the instruction. Whether it be a short story a poem, free writing or work on a novel, just write what’s been bubbling away in your mind. This was no cop out but a much needed creative outlet after a day of such pleasant exercises and discussion. Testament to the success of the workshop, the class was as if possessed, silent but for the scribbling and scratching of pen on paper. We were all lost in thought, coming up for air every now and then to see our neighbours gripped by the same intensive concentration.
We finished with a discussion of our writing and our thoughts on the day. The workshop had provided a much needed shot in the arm and we left on a high, imaginations fired up, batteries recharged and feeling overwhelmingly positive.
Wordplay Workshops come very highly recommended and given what was achieved in one short day, I am looking forward to signing up for one of their writing retreats, held in a farmhouse nestling at the foot of the South Downs.
