Tag: writing

Writing Groups: Giving Feedback

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by Ekaterina Fawl

I’ve already talked about the joys and challenges of receiving feedback graciously (even if it’s not the glowing praise you expected!) and using it to improve your piece (even if the comments aren’t as helpful as you might have hoped). Now it’s time to turn the tables… Let’s delve into the art of giving feedback! How can we do that without crushing our fellow writers’ spirits, while giving them our honest opinion? How do we organise our thoughts? How do we provide the most useful and thoughtful feedback the writer can get?

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I write things

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by Ekaterina Fawl

Writing has been my hobby and obsession since I was about seven, and it has also been my secret.

As a child I hid away the stories I scribbled in my spare school notebooks. As many kids, I was somewhat fascinated with the macabre. My stories were dark and gory and I didn’t want my budding goth aesthetics to cause any alarm to my parents.

Of course I never told anyone about my writing when I was in my teens. Even wearing the wrong kind of hat could destroy your social standing in those years, let alone admitting to something so hopelessly uncool and nerdy. I had spent enough energy trying to dodge the swotter label. What would my peer think about me doing extra writing – for fun! – after I meticulously finished all my homework for the day? Continue reading →

Writer’s Block

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by Ekaterina Fawl

This happens to every writer sooner or later: the words stop flowing. The muses have left. The writer’s block has descended, and you can’t write anymore.

That, of course, isn’t really the case. We’re always able to write. Any skills we have learnt are still there, our talent, imagination and creativity don’t disappear. And yet sometimes it feels like there’s no way to push through this slump, or worse, no reason to even try writing again. Continue reading →

Why Write? Thoughts on writing for fun, health or wealth.

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by Helen Kenwright

In this, the first of a series of guest blogs, Writing Tree Tutor Helen Kenwright takes a look at the different reasons people might choose to write, and how to keep motivation going.

When students first come to my classes I ask them what it is about writing that interests them. It’s a question they’ve usually been asked before, and they often find difficult to answer, unless they are hoping to write with a view to publication. It’s a strange phenomenon, when you think about it. Artistic pursuits form the basis of lots of common hobbies: writing, colouring books, salsa dancing, knitting, singing in the shower… but all too often we feel as if we’re daft for doing it, unless we’re really good. And there’s the paradox: like other skills in life, we’re unlikely to get really good unless we do it a lot.

So why bother? Here’s a few ideas. Continue reading →