Resources
17 March 2021
This month's blog theme is 'Being A Writer' in which writers from Mayflower Creative Writers are writing about their writerly process, who they are as a writer and what's shaped them as writers. Beth and Sam from the group have created a deep-dive podcast which dialogues on the nature of a writer in terms of process, influence, the necessities of collaboration, strategies and aspects of craft as well as the perceptions of artists. You can listen to this conversation here: https://soundcloud.com/mcw-854371942/on-being-a-writer-a-conversation-by-beth-phillips-sam-morton
Beth Phillips is a poet, Barbican Young Poet alumni and founder of Lemon Curd, a literary magazine focusing on community and collaboration within the arts. Her work utilises the confessional voice whilst also exploring family, nostalgia and grief. She is currently working on a full length collection named 'finger painting'.
Sam Morton is a multidisciplinary screenwriter, director and audiomaker. His works specialises in telling surreal/off-kilter stories through the medium of film and radio. He has recently started working as a freelance filmmaker and is experimenting with ways of bringing his love of poetry into the film format.
Timestamps:
0:00 - The perks of audio storytelling. Film vs Radio.
4:24 - Influences
7:17 - Does originality exist?
8:18 - Collaboration in the arts
9:16 - Beth’s origins in poetry. Collaborations/collectives in art.
11:26 - Why we love Mayflower
11:56 - Writing, Redrafting and Workshopping
13:45 - Revisting old work
14:08 - Starting a poem
15:48 - Autobiographical poetry
17:17 - The process of writing a script. Does structure matter?
20:54 - Creative Writing courses and the importance of trying different mediums
21:34 - Blending poetry and film
23:07 - Non-fiction and zines.
26:18 - Dreaminess and Subjectivity in film/poetry
27:27 - The Nitty-Gritty fundamentals of poetry
28:54 - Music, memory and writer’s playlists
30:19 - Finding time to write.
30:55 - Free writing/“assembling the fragments”.
31:57 - Beth’s favourite poem and the way it’s evolved over time.
32:55 - Do poems change as you change?
33:30 - POETRY READING: “lourdes by Beth Philips”
35:48 - The small stuff, fine-tuning, and how changing “I” to “you” changes everything
39:10 - ‘writing for the page’ vs ‘writing to be spoken’
40:19 - Writing art in response to other art
41:32 - QUICKFIRE QUESTION: Sam’s top 3 favourite films
42:41 - QUICKFIRE QUESTION: Beth’s top 3 favourite poetry collections
43:15 - “accessibility” in poetry
45:05 - Beth’s dream
46:23 - Sequencing poems
48:49 - Instagram and Social Media. How can it help the arts?
51:06 - Putting personal writing out into the world
References:
Twin Peaks (tv show)
A Woman Under The Influence (film)
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (film)
Imaginary Advice by Ross Sutherland (podcast)
The Dizziness of Freedom by Bad Betty Press (poetry)
They He She Period (zine)
Contraception Zine (zine)
The Night We Met by Lord Huron (song)
Lilo by Japanese House (song)
Its Such A Beautiful Day (animation)
Eraserhead (film)
Sunshine by Melissa Lee-Houghton (poetry)
Dogtooth by Fran Lock (poetry)
Night Sky With Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong (poetry)
Archive
Storytelling and Escalation or Rising Action
Junior Writers Club Acrostic Poem
Notes on Intention for MAST Collective - Year 3 - Facilitation Focus
Earthquakes & Dominoes - MAST Collective Blog #4
SUPER MARIO AND POP CULTURE POEMS
Receptionists & Inky Voids - MAST Collective Blog #3
Saying No and saying YES on National Poetry Day!
There's a Dragon in the Wardrobe...
House Warming Party (The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known) - MAST Collective Blog #2
Intern Blog 5 - The Publishing Process
POEMS TO SOLVE THE CLIMATE CRISIS
On The Streets With Theresa Lola
Intern Blog 4 - The Internship Journey
NEW DIRECTIONS, STARTING SMALL - THE ORWELL YOUTH PRIZE
LIGHTHOUSES, HOPE AND METAPHORS
on workshop and transformations: frogs, lions, and the duck that becomes a larder...
Poetry Ambassadors - Interview with April Egan
Intern Blog 1 - Finding a Voice
World Poetry Day: Fluffypunk and the Invisible Women
On Being a Writer: A Conversation by Beth Phillips & Sam Morton
Poetry Ambassadors - Interview with Kaycee Hill
UNHEARD VOICES: INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY, AND STORIES OF CONFLICT
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