get back into writing.

at my writing class, I was talking to some of the other members about doing a creative writing MA. I’ve always thought about doing one since I graduated and I really think I would become a better writer if I did. They argued that I could be a better writer just by reading more. It was quite daunting some of the discussions they were having on writers I guess I should be reading but obviously don’t have a clue about. I came away and had a long think about it but finally decided that I couldn’t find the money for the fees so would have to put it off for the time being. Then yesterday I had a meeting at a book marketing company who have asked me to be their first ‘Reader in Residence’ which seems to fit perfectly into the pattern of my thinking. Wow a Reader in Residence. That’s going to look great on my CV and what’s even better is that I get paid to do it. I’ll basically have to read some books of my choice and then write a blog once a month and do some updates on their facebook pages. It’s the perfect excuse to read, I love it.

is writing poetry or fiction or both. Recently I was asked to join a writing group. It’s not a writing group where anyone can join either, you get invited depending on space etc. It’s a small group full of new writers who are starting to become published… serious writers. It’s not for beginners, you need to have some experience of writing by the sounds of it. My first session is this Saturday and I must admit I’m quite scared but in an I’m gonna rise to the challenge sort of way. It’s exactly the push I need. Sure I could join a beginners writing group and be quietly confident I could write something that would be received well because secretly I would know that I’m not a beginner. That would do me no justice at all, so it is all about the scary intermediate writing group full of metaphors and similes that I probably won’t get that I must embrace. They have already sent me an email about bringing a poem from an exercise they did on writing about phobias chosen from a list they had. The list in itself is fascinating… Fear of clocks.. fear or opinions… fear or paper. I’d like to write about my fear of joining a group who are dead good, but I won’t… probably.

I got an e-mail from my mother in reply to one I sent her after the first day of my trip here in New Brunswick. I am visiting my best friend for a week and was updating her on the activities we had done that day. She wrote back that she enjoys the way I write and recommends I get back into writing.

Now that school is over and I have evenings and weekends to myself with very little commitment outside the office, I would like to get back into it. Reading what I have jotted down allows me to understand myself a little better, to take stock and figure out how I think and feel. I guess we could all use that sometimes.

I don’t want to force it though. There’s nothing more depressing than reading something back that you thought was clever or smart and realizing it didn’t make sense. Allowing it all to just flow out makes everyone’s life easier.

Ok, back to my portfolio.