End of summer term… I always enjoy the difference I see in my classes from the start of term to the end. At the beginning people who are new to the class are often nervous of sharing their writing. They feel their writing has to be perfect before they can offer it up to scrutiny. As the term wears on … Read More
The magical metaphor machine
Peter Sansom’s Writing Poems (Bloodaxe Books 1994) is one of the best introductions to writing poetry I’ve come across. On page 76 Peter offers a technique called The Furniture Game which, he says, ‘lends itself to working in groups of four’. You think of someone famous and write about them as if they were a piece of furniture, the weather, … Read More
An eclectic mix
“You are like the ‘Jools Holland of Writing’; embracing and encouraging such an eclectic mix of styles and genres”. This was the message sent to me a few days ago, by someone in a writing class I have been running for a couple of years; I have just handed it over to a new tutor who I hope will enjoy … Read More