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30 November -0001

Characterful

Writing group week 3 - characters


We started by talking about the homework task which was to ‘observe’ people in our daily lives that might inspire us to write.


We talked about the people we see in the supermarket, at the courthouse, the carers that visit if we can’t get out so much.


We wrote short forms / poems about these people.


I’m always inspired by Kate Tempest’s Brand New Ancients when I think about characters - she manages to draw instant images into my mind of the people she describes - so we watched a short excerpt on YouTube after the break to get us thinking again.


One writer observed how it always feels impossible not to write about yourself - even when trying to write ‘creatively’ or about someone else.


Our long free-write started with mind mapping a character - giving them a name and then developing them by answering questions about them; age, eye colour, family, home-life etc. We then placed the character somewhere familiar to them and started a free-write. Just before half way through our writing time I added a further prompt ‘then something unusual happens’.


One member of the group really blew us all away with the beginnings of a short story of a lifeboat man. Detailing his early hours wake and stumble to the life boat station to be called out for a sinking, it was peppered with great word choices and the revelation that they were about to launch without a full crew gave the piece an urgency and drama.....we all wanted to hear more!

















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