Do you need a deadline to make you productive? Do you need to hear your words spoken out-loud? Do you sometimes wish that being a writer wasn't such a solitary experience?
Being a writer can sometimes be difficult because it's often about sitting in a quiet room, on your own, and staring at the computer screen until something happens. When you're working towards a production, there's a drive and an urgency to get the work finished. But when you don't have a specific date to work towards, sometimes it can feel a bit aimless; pointless even.
One of the most useful things that came out of my time studying for my MA at Salford Uni was the student-run WritersLab we set up. For 2 years, we met every Tuesday afternoon and shared what we'd been writing that week. We decided for ourselves what level of feedback we wanted, and we read together and discussed the work. Those conversations helped clarify ideas and I always left the session with a much clearer idea of where it was all going.
Lots of really strong work emerged from that process. My piece, The Big Things, was shortlisted for the BBC WritersRoom Alfred Bradley Bursary Award and was developed through our weekly meetings, as well as Stephen Hornby's Manchester Theatre Award-nominated Die Diana and his recently performed Burnley Bugger's Ball. Loads of work has started to emerge into production that was in some way assisted by that process.
I really miss those sessions.
It was often the fact that we had the meeting on Tuesday afternoon that made me write; usually a sudden burst on Tuesday morning. It was a rarity that I showed up without something new to read, but even when I did, it was great to be part of the process of reading and exploring new work.
So, I'm thinking of setting up a WriteForTheStage WritersLab. That's about as far as I've got with the idea. If there are enough people who are interested, then we can get going.
If you're interested in getting involved, please do get in touch. Add a comment to this blog, letting me know. All ideas and suggestions are welcome. What level of commitment would you want? What would be a good time and day? Let me know.
