The charming folks over at the ACT Writers Centre have let us know about a couple of workshops that they will be running this weekend to help writers push through writers block:
This weekend, the folks at the ACT Writers Centre are hosting a two day jaunt that tackles writers block with lecturer and poet Charlotte Clutterbuck on Saturday, to developing a short story with prizewinning writer Ian McHugh on Sunday. And over in their offices at Gorman House, the Writers Centre staff are unafraid of knocking down their own resistance to getting creative things done.
‘Listening to the numbers of ways writers block ends up in people’s lives is definitely interesting: there’s cleaning the kitchen, sitting at the blank page, baking, obsessing over a character: we did a tweet series about things different writers have said about overcoming all of these things. There seems to be two camps: push through, or step away from the page.’ Says Writers Centre Communications Officer, Rosanna Stevens.
‘The hardest thing about signing up to a workshop that announces, ‘I have writers block, and I here to challenge it’ is actually recognising you have writers block, and you’re wanting to challenge it. I meet so many people who say, ‘Wow, you’re a writer? I want to be a writer. But I’m worried I’d have nothing to write about.’ To me that’s writer’s block at its worst.’
‘But, you know, it’s not just a matter of being brave enough to sign up for a workshop, it’s being brave enough to pick up a pen or a laptop and say to yourself that it’s time to try this thing you’ve wanted to do for a while: it’s time to try writing. That’s why the workshops we’re running this weekend are so exciting: they’re taking that first step to writing something new, or writing something for the first time.’
To add to the resources, articles and Canberra opinions about writing, the Centre has recently developed a blog called Capital Letters. They’ve also kicked off a podcast series this week, which is themed around ten minute talks with writers and features the kicking tune ‘Little Surprises’ by Canberra Singer/Songwriter Julia and the Deep Sea Sirens. For some sweet afternoon literary delight, you can find the first podcast here.
You can find out more about both workshops happening this week end, and you can sign up for either one by visiting: www.actwriters.org.au
Loading ...
