Starting Creative Writing blog 4 of 6

th-4 The Pleasure of Making up Stories

This is National Story Telling Week – a good time to write a new story?

Stories have entertained humans since communication began, and spread throughout the world before writing and the printing press. Stories were told on street corners and in plays, they were drawn in pictures and written on stones and in sand.

Now we listen or watch stories every day. Stories entertain, but are also reflections of life and a necessary part of the human thinking process. A story can try to make sense of something that we don’t understand.

There is no evidence of fiction in the animal kingdom except to mislead in the pursuit of food. Imagination – the ‘what if ?’ question is a part of the human brain. Storytelling and understanding sets us apart from the animal kingdom. We tell true stories to mirror an event, exaggerated stories to make them interesting and stories which are the product of pure imagination.

This blog is a precursor or opposite of Shed Loads of Money (3 of 6). It’s about making up stories and taking pleasure in the experience and in sharing what you’ve written if you want to.

Great works of literature have come about and stories have been made up just for the pleasure of doing so. Some have hung around in notebooks and others been consigned to waste bins. Sometimes they exist by word-of-mouth, like a children’s story made up in families. Let’s look at some of the reasons to write, dance, act or paint stories.

Using Imagination

Exercising Creativity

A Fun Hobby

Keeping the brain active

Self expression

Communicate a message

Can you add more reasons? (To tell a truth, to impart an idea)

Have you read fiction thinking ‘I could do that’? Well, give it a go. It isn’t as easy as it may seem but none the less a lot of fun.

The pleasure of story creation comes in the freedom and opportunity to do so.

Use triggers – focusing on a creative outcome improves with practice.

Stories can be reworked many times to improve them or develop new ideas within the structure.

If you would like to write a story about A Story Teller add it your blog and enter a link with the title and a 100 word synopsis in the comments so that other people can read it.

Blog 5 Next – Enjoy writing poetry and playing with language skills.

Add your poem

Please feel free to share your poem in the comment box. I will check it out and put it up. You don’t have to be a great poet, but have something you want to say in verse. Lots of interesting poems are written, but never get shared or read. There is much talk about copyright, but what is the point of copyright on something that never gets read? This is an opportunity to share what you have written, for only the satisfaction of knowing that someone else has read it.If you want to put a link to your poetry publication you can.

Creative Writing for Young Students

I would like to extend my reply to a young would be writer I chatted with on face book. You will see from my bio that I taught Creative Writing in adult education for 18 years. After retirement I am still teaching the subject to a more diverse cross section of students, but for the pleasure of doing so. Creative Writing has become my way of life for which I rarely get paid but love to do.

In the last sentence is the truth of the life for most writers so why teach the subject to young people when they are going to need a paid job?

Scientists need imagination to ask, what if? Computer studies can take on real purpose when a writer understands how everything you learn to do with a computer will help support a writing career. In fact, you can’t be a writer these days without access to the net and the ability to compute. Making a web site, taking photos and editing them, making videos as well as excel for spread sheets etc., If you want to be a writer go to every computer class you can and learn at home.

A child said to me, “I don’t need maths to write.” That was wishful thinking. Marketing needs maths to record incoming and outgoings (your outgoings will be bigger than your incomings to begin with). You need to be able to make reliable financial projections and analyse your business responses to tweets, blogs, Facebook etc.

History can give a depth to your stories and you can learn history by making up your own stories around historical events choosing to be historical characters. The man who thought up Horrible Histories was on to a winner.

Improving your college C.V. can come from running or contributing to the school magazine. Working to dead lines and seeing your name in print are useful skills. Getting involved in the school play is a huge writers’ learning curve and fun.

Sociology and cultural studies teaches about other people, they could be your potential readers. If you are going to be a writer you need readers. Who are they? Communication and media studies are often criticised as soft options for ‘a’ level subjects and for a degree. I would disagree. They are only poor subjects if the students believe these courses will make them rich and famous. These subjects can be stepping stones into a wider job market. i.e. A film studies student and artist became a make-up artist for carnival and minor films. She makes her money from weddings. You can learn a list of subjects by studying film and whatever you choose to do in life is will not be based on one subject.

The broad picture! Science teaches the writer useful facts and teaches the scientist how to use fiction to imagine new outcomes.

Our brains are wired to learn from multi sources other than plain facts on a page. Add pictures and stories and the facts are easier to learn – that’s a known fact.

Learning languages, in my case teaching English as a foreign language, Creative Writing is a great confidence builder. We now know that students encouraged to use a language creatively and allowed to make mistakes and mix a native language with a new language have better learning outcomes at the end of 5 years than those who learn solely from a book. In Sri Lanka children can use three languages in one sentence. It was thought this would discourage them from learning English but the opposite has proven to be true. Interesting.

Art and music, for inspiration

p1020801 — When we grow up we are going to be rich and famous

and story writing. Poetry to music for the school play. Music for your videos and knowing which music to mention in a story.

I guess there is a book here but I’m busy writing fiction. In the meantime I thought I would share these random thoughts.

If you have ideas to contribute or examples, please add them to the comments box or send me a link to your blog.

Next Week

2. Creative Writing for Adults

I want to share what I have learned for free. You might like to check out my other blogs.

Please forgive the link to my book on Amazon. My Romantic Comedy only 99p and it gets 5* reviews around the world. http://tinyurl.com/jd6bn9 Has a target audience of women 35+ I know men read it too.

twitter @brendahSedgwick

facebook; Marriage, a Journey and a Dog

Writing for Therapy – Introduction Blog 4 of 6

A writing for therapy tool kit.

Where would you like to start?

A writing for therapy diary? Write words of self expression and encouragement every day. Add on achievable goals.

Write a letter to yourself from an imagined person.

Write a letter to someone else – real or unreal. Post it, bin it or keep it.

Write a past problem you cannot change and ‘carefully’ burn it.

Make yourself a character in a story and write your own different life. See if any goals come up – like reading – it can be escapism. Ask yourself, What would I have my character do?’

Write down what you would like to say to someone – give it to them or practice saying it in a good way. If you can’t say or give it to them at least you have told the paper.

N.B. You don’t have to be good at your language skills – just imaginative as to how you can use what you know.

If you are happy writing you can improve your skills if you want to. Read books on how to, join a writing group, go to writing events in your area or in a different country. If you say you are not good at writing, but want to learn my experience of writers is they are caring people and they will help you.

Write a sketch with someone like you in it and create characters who speak with you or back to you.

Personification is giving an animal or object human characteristics. You can use this in your writing.

Write a plan for discovering something new – new music – the natural world – friendships – new places, etc.

Look to move on – answers are not always looking back.

Case study.

1 A precious daughter fell out with her mother when the father died. The mother didn’t understand why. Trying to address the problem proved fruitless. The mother used a word association to see if anything could be done ‘now’. When the answer was that the relationship could not be forced the mother wrote of her feelings and made a plan to move herself on and quietly hope that that the relationship would mend in time.

Her creative word association helped her to make a plan, including travel and a new hobby or two. If or when her daughter settled back into the relationship the mother would be a stronger, happier person – that was the goal for a diary.

2 Bullying is an often internalised situation. ‘Don’t speak to anyone’ – OK don’t, but you can write your thoughts and feelings down. Find a trusted person to share them with if you can. Make a plan to find written material on the internet or in a book – there is lots of help out there. Keep a record of events. It’s a small tool that students and people dealing with workplace bullies have found useful.

3. Slimming stories abound and unlike a lot of slimming advice, ideas for finding ways of helping yourself can be found through writing for therapy and sharing in a group, and the help you can give yourself and share is FREE. Keep a slimming diary, put notes on the fridge, make a shopping list, engage in an interesting hobby, add more ideas in the comments please.

Pick up a pen and paper take it with you everywhere.

I hope these ideas may be useful to all the readers of Writing for Therapy – Introduction.

You might like to read Romantic Comedy – A good read can always cheer you up.

Writing for pleasure, this is my book, and a wonderful means to express myself and make writing a way of life for me. – http://tinyurl.com/jgqpgyw paperback and ebook, internationally available on Amazon and other platforms.

Henri Marcel. French artist 1938 – 1996

I have been asked about Henri Marcel, the French artist I quote in Marriage, a Journey and a Dog..

Henri Marcel is remembered for his quotations as well as his art. He was a part of the cubism movement that changed the face of art.

Pablo Picasso was credited with cubism’s creation, but there are other examples of this style of art. As with all artists and creative people there is a reliance on what you have learnt and your environment, mixed with your own creativity. It was Picasso that brought cubism to the forefront in art.

This is a link to cubism art pictures – Cubism Art

I came across these in Le Louvre. I’m not sure how old they are but they are described as ancient. 33-P1000921 34-P1000922

George Keyt 1901 – 1993, is a famous Sri Lankan artist and as far as it is known he had no contact with Picasso and his associates.

George Keyt is worth knowing about – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Keyt

Henri Marcel was a part of the cubism movement, creating his own distinguished style – hidden in many ways, but a great discovery if you find him.

Quotes about Henri Marcel in Marriage, a Journey and a Dog.

This is where it all began.

This is when I realised what my life could be

Henri Marcel. French Artist 1938-1996

_______

Once outside on the pavement, I notice a small house, squeezed between the shops, on the wall there is a brass plaque to Henri Marcel. I have a book about him from a charity shop. He painted pictures then ripped them up, repositioned them and painted the new picture, similar to Picasso and cubism. The colours he used were bold and the reconstructed paintings vibrant. Some of his paintings are of people; others of buildings. So he lived here for twenty years until he died in 1996.

‘I am always doing what I thought I couldn’t do because I learn something’ is the quote under his name.

“Yes, Henri!” I say out loud. I mustn’t let Gerry see me talking to myself, and clasping my hands with agreement!

____________

Alan might offend me when I’m vulnerable, so as much as he might be useful I decide to try this one on my own and hope I’ve benefitted something from my one and only past experience of cycling.

‘I am always doing what I thought I couldn’t do because I learn something’ I reflect on Henri Marcel’s words. ‘Remember Natalie, you made it through France and Spain’. I pinch myself at the thought.

As his paintings are held in private galleries they are not available on google. Maybe, one day there will be an exhibition.

imgres-2

“To tell the truth is often distracting, Make what you will of me.” Henri Marcel.

Venus de Milo

Look up Venus de Milo It’s fun if you haven’t seen this sculpture before and if you have it is worth a another visit. In fact Paris should be on everyone’s travel list always. I love Le Louvre, staring at this sculpture again and writing her into my book. If you would like to travel the journey of Natalie this is a great place to be.

Natalie stared at this goddess of love and wanted her to touch her life. She did, but not in the way she expected.

Marriage a Journey and a Dog is in the printing stage now and I will update this blog as soon as it is available. A new ebook will soon be on all ebook platforms.

Strange how you write a book and wonder if it will sell. Now the orders are happening, I just want to know that readers enjoy it.

Looking up the artistic places mentioned, traveling through France and Spain and oddly enough, wearing turquoise to reading clubs are adding to the fun of the reading experience.

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