We'll be cracking our pencil cases open once again on Thurs 22 July, 6.00 to 7.30pm at Dalston CLR James Library. As yet, the theme for this session remains tantalisingly undecided. But we'll keep you posted. If anyone has any thoughts on a topic they'd like to cover, post 'em in the comments!
Thursday, 23 June 2022
Wednesday, 8 June 2022
Hackney City of Stories Home Celebration Event: Thurs 30 June 2022 at Stoke Newington Library
Come along to this special free event celebrating the launch of the City of Stories Home Anthology featuring talented new writers from across London, alongside published authors.
Take part in a relaxed creative writing workshop - aimed at those who would like to give writing a go or those who are already writers, hear local authors read their stories and pick up your own free copy of the Anthology. You can sign up to attend the creative writing workshop, the reading or both!
Take part in a relaxed creative writing workshop - aimed at those who would like to give writing a go or those who are already writers, hear local authors read their stories and pick up your own free copy of the Anthology. You can sign up to attend the creative writing workshop, the reading or both!
We're delighted that author Lorraine Brown (The Paris Connection, Sorry I Missed You) will once again be running the session at Stoke Newington Library.
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| Author Lorraine Brown will be running a special workshop at Stoke Newington Library on 30 June |
Next Meeting: Thurs 9 June 2022
Next meeting of Dalston Writing Group will be Thurs 9 June 2022, 6.00 to 7.30pm at Dalston CLR James Library.
Our theme for this session will be clothes, style, fashion, threads, clobber, duds, garms, and, well, you get the picture.
By way of inspiration, here are eight short stories about clothes.Here, courtesy of Vogue, is some flash fiction on fashion.
And here are the prompts we used at this session:
The dawning realisation that your character has totally misunderstood what’s happening, and that their outfit is deeply inappropriate for this event.
Something your character keeps, even though they know they will never wear it again.
Something worn by a passing stranger plunges your character back into their past.
Something your character wears (or carries), from which they draw strength. It might not be visible, like a discreet tattoo.
Scene(s) from the long and varied life of a jacket, currently hanging on the rail in a Dalston charity shop. Bonus points if you can make the jacket itself the narrator.
Your character is making a bold statement by refusing to abide by sartorial convention at a funeral or a wedding. How? Why? Try telling this story either from the wearer’s perspective, or from the point of view of others present.
What a uniform means to your character. What if it's the first time they've put it on? Or the last?
Your character is forming a detailed opinion of someone they’ve only just met, based solely on that person’s appearance. Describe every aspect of the person being observed, from head to toe. What does your main character think? What can you reveal about their own prejudices and assumptions?
Write an account of a fancy dress party featuring any (or all) of the following: Henry 8th, Elvis, The Queen, Madonna. Superman is hosting.
Saturday, 21 May 2022
Hackney Festival of Learning: Introduction to Life Writing Session
The workshop will help us tap into the memories and events that shape us. Using prompts, examples and the techniques of fiction-writing, we'll form those events into stories. Whether you want to keep a journal, reflect on your own life and development, share your experience with the world or incorporate them into fiction, this session will help you find your voice.
The event will be run by Jon, and forms part of Hackney's Festival of Learning, a week-long celebration of lifelong learning with FREE workshops and classes across the borough for residents of all ages. View full details of all the events here.
Wednesday, 4 May 2022
May Meeting & More...
Next meeting of Dalston Writing Group will be at Dalston CLR James Library on Weds 11 May, 6.00 to 7.30pm. (Please note - the shift to Weds is for this month only. In June we'll be back to our usual Thursday slot on 9/6/22)
For this session we are very pleased to have Catherine Madden leading a workshop. Cat is studying for a PhD in The Contemporary Novel Practice as Research at the University of Kent.
This workshop will explore writing about relationships from different points of view. Using an exercise partly based on chance, we'll generate a piece of fiction based around a character’s life experiences and connections with others.
Even more events!
As part of Hackney's Festival of Learning, on Weds 25 May, 3.30 to 5.00pm, Jon will be running a special memoir and life-writing workshop at Dalston CLR James Library. If you, or anyone you know, would like to come, drop us a line via the 'comment' option.
On Thurs 30 June, 6.00 to 8pm, we're delighted to have novelist Lorraine Brown back to host this year's City of Stories Home Celebration event at Stoke Newington Library. Details and registration here.
A brief compendium of other interesting things
Writing a story set in a half-remembered place? Here's how one author used Google Street View to help.
May is StoryADay Month. Here's a cool blog with daily short story prompts.
Here are details of a nature writing walk and workshop run by the London Wildlife Trust, taking place in Walthamstow Sat 7 May, at 10:30am.
If you're back on the commute (or even if you're not) here's another round-up of creative writing podcasts.
For this session we are very pleased to have Catherine Madden leading a workshop. Cat is studying for a PhD in The Contemporary Novel Practice as Research at the University of Kent.
This workshop will explore writing about relationships from different points of view. Using an exercise partly based on chance, we'll generate a piece of fiction based around a character’s life experiences and connections with others.
Even more events!
As part of Hackney's Festival of Learning, on Weds 25 May, 3.30 to 5.00pm, Jon will be running a special memoir and life-writing workshop at Dalston CLR James Library. If you, or anyone you know, would like to come, drop us a line via the 'comment' option.
On Thurs 30 June, 6.00 to 8pm, we're delighted to have novelist Lorraine Brown back to host this year's City of Stories Home Celebration event at Stoke Newington Library. Details and registration here.
A brief compendium of other interesting things
Writing a story set in a half-remembered place? Here's how one author used Google Street View to help.
May is StoryADay Month. Here's a cool blog with daily short story prompts.
Here are details of a nature writing walk and workshop run by the London Wildlife Trust, taking place in Walthamstow Sat 7 May, at 10:30am.
If you're back on the commute (or even if you're not) here's another round-up of creative writing podcasts.
Plastic Paradise by Moira Coupe
Here's some wonderful new work from writing group regular Moira Coupe...
Plastic Paradise
When your dad is an Industrial Chemist,
High Density Polyethylene, pass the milk,
Polypropylene, why did I ask for yogurt,
Urethane, Polystyrene and PVC,
are everyday terms.
Dad taps open his egg, trying not to spill yolk
on the Bakelite eggcup his mother gave him.
He reads and marvels out loud at the contents
of the Polyunsaturated fat he puts on his toast.
Yawning, I search for the repeat pattern in our Formica tabletop.
Finally excused, I run into my future, 50 years away.
Ethereal in late winter sun, a blue planter sings to me.
Mesmerised, I watch branch shadows scud across its surface,
and, with my finger, trace a Celtic design embossed on its rim.
Yesterday, I counted at least 83 plastic flowerpots in my garden.
In 3 months, this plastic embarrassment will be covered by
Primroses, Petunias and Forget-me- nots.
Look now and see my need for lightweight flowerpots.
Look now and see my contribution to planet destruction.
Look now and see my tribute to dad, to human invention.
Tuesday, 3 May 2022
New Writing from Kim Horrocks
Writing group regular Kim Horrocks got in touch with new work to share. The source material may possibly be familiar, but the treatment is brilliantly unique!
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