Creative Writing Courses: help or hindrance?

Can we be taught to write? Or is it creative urge that rules, OK?

This has come up a couple of times in the past week so I thought I'd set down a few thoughts.

First the craft of writing

Does that have to be learned? I'd give a very firm yes to that. And the only way to learn is to do it.

Last week I was talking to a leading writer in the UK in the mind, body, spirit genre of books. His writing was learned in the hard school of being critiqued on a daily basis by journalists and advertising copywriters. That meant he'd developed skills he could turn to any kind of writing he needed to do. Including several successful novels.

His take on inspiration was that for him, he wanted to write books that came out of experience. Not theories that hadn't been tested but had become robust through practical application.

Second: what surrounds you as a writer

In Saturday's Guardian Review is an article by Rachel Cusk on creative writing courses. Their use or otherwise.

There were three points I think need stressing::

1. The importance of talking about yourself as a writer, even if you are still working at another job.
2. The vital necessity of support from people who are focused on you succeeding as a writer.
3. The need to learn the craft of writing.

You can check out the article here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/jan/18/in-praise-creative-writing-course

I know just being in the same room as other writers is good for me, whatever level they are. There's always something to learn.

Have you taken a creative writing course? If so how helpful was it to you?

Writing blocks: do they exist?

This came up as a question on Writing From Your Heart 12 Facebook page. www.facebook.com/writingfromyourheart

I said firmly that I didn't believe in writing blocks and I stand by that as far as it relates to the mechanics of writing. Because in terms of words on a page, there are many techniques to be used that allow you write.

Sounds harsh? Maybe but let me take you back ten years.

In my hand I held an envelope containing an assignment I'd sent off to my writing correspondence course.
I was quite pleased with it when I sent it off but by the time I'd read the comments on the accompanying sheet, I felt shredded.

Too many pages, too much waffle, not enough emotional content. It was 12 pages and my next assignment was to reduce it down to 8.

More inclined to make paper airplanes with it than look at it again, I left it for a couple of days.

Didn't look any easier to me to start changing words, or horror of horrors, deleting them.

Of course I did it. And of course my tutor was right. The reduced piece was sharper, firmer and more directed at the reader.

EMOTIONAL BLOCKS TO WRITING

Where I can agree to blocks is in the emotional connection to the words you might want to write. But that's a different issue

These can happen at different stages of the writing process and need a different kind of therapy to loosen them.

1. It may feel too emotionally charged to write about something, not allowing you to begin.
2. While you're writing painful emotions can come upand feel threatening to you.
3. When you've finished the writing, even if it's been therapeutic to write it, you may feel blocked about doing anything with what you've written.

TOM EVANS AND EILEEN PARR TALK ABOUT WRITING BLOCKS

After I'd answered the Facebook question I mulled over the question further and thought it might be useful to discuss it with Tom Evans, The Bookwright who has written extensively about creativity blocks.

Our discussion will go out to subscribers of WFYH Monthly Enfolding on 1 February.

Sign up at www.eileenparr.com and join in the discussion about this topic that haunts most writers at some point in their writing life.

Richard Rodney Bennett

His death on Christmas Eve saddens me. I had the privilege of seeing him three times.

Once in the 1970s when he accompanied a singer whose name sadly I have forgotten. I do remember she sang a Berio piece that sounded like a radio being tuned between stations. Him I remember as elegant, cultured and amusing. As well as being a wonderful pianist.

Closer to his death I saw him twice with Claire Martin and what sheer pleasure they were to watch and listen to. So matched were they in their love of the songs they offered and so obviously great friends.

I heard his music many times on the radio and like other polymaths, his range of abilities across the musical genres maybe played against him being taken as seriously as he should have been as composer. He made it seem easy and that most important of abilities not possessed by all artists.

Accessible. His attitude was, come and share my love of this. And if we had any sense we did.

Sad to think I won't hear him again live because it was such a joy.

Christmas wishes from Eileen Parr

It's 5am on Christmas morning. I'm not awake because I want to see if Santa has visited but I am awake before the rest of the family.

So I'm taking a few minutes to be grateful before we launch into a day of feasting and presents.

The first thing I'm grateful for is a history of happy childhood Christmases. I was surrounded by those who loved me and early in my life, encouraged to be part of the world of books and writing. Annuals and Enid Blyton books sitting at the foot of the bed to give my parents chance to sleep longer!

That love of books has been at the core of my life and I hope will remain so and I've seen it passed on to my nieces and now great niece. Many of the presents surrounding the tree downstairs are books.

And I'm grateful that as a family we emphasise creating experiences rather than merely acquiring stuff. My great niece did a rough count of the presents and we were amazed at how many. If it sounds as if we've spent a fortune, we haven't. Limits on spending turn us creative about what we ask for and buy for the others.

My sister spent some time last week, doing a trawl round the charity shops looking for books for one of my nieces. She came back in triumph having succeeded in finding some authors she wanted to pass on.

This year I'm especially grateful that I'm building connections across the world with those whose love of words leads them to help others with their knowledge, skills and passion.

My love of books and words and the pleasure and connections it's brought me over my life so far is beyond any economic value I can assign to it.

Instead it's opened up worlds for me beyond anything I might have imagined in childhood.

On this Christmas morning, I hope that there's something, whether books or not, that opens your life out in the same way.

All blessings.

Will you be a leader in 2013?

I have to put my hand up and admit I've always been bossy.

There I've said it.. and the world hasn't fallen in on me.

Except that being bossy backfired on me more times than enough in my twenties and thirties and so I started moving in the opposite direction... not being bossy.

Which was fine except I began to realise that in some company, I seemed to come out all wimpish.

Are you the one who's the centre of attention or hovering on the edge of the group?

Recently I went to our local theatre, amateur companies only, to watch a performance of Round and Round the Garden, one of Alan Ayckbourn's Norman Conquest Trilogy. In that is a very bossy woman who tries to organise everyone else. She fails of course because most of us resist being organised, even if secretly we'd like someone to take charge of all the things we hate to do.

So what is leadership anyway?

My trusty dictionary tells me that a leader is:

• a person who leads, commands or precedes a group, organisation or country

Being out in front means high visibility, commanding has too many nuances of being bossy, but maybe precedes might work.

When I look at the verb what I find is much more to my liking:

• cause a person to go with one by drawing them along
• show a person the way by preceding or accompanying them

Recently I went to a TEDx on family and community and a young woman talked about leading by serving others.

Then I found a definition that said a leader was someone who had the courage to go first. Unlike the character in Gilbert and Sullivan The Gondoliers who led always from the rear.

How cand you and I be leaders next year?

During the Writing From Your Heart Online Gathering, I received some wonderful feedback. Much of it focused on the same points.

How the writer appreciated the practical nature of the interviews and how touched they were by the courage I was showing by being vulnerable.

Was it deliberate on my part? To a certain extent it was... because I knew that if I wasn't authentic then I might as well not bother to host the event. I am as I am, with all my insecurities and hang ups. And my talents and strengths. 

All of which I have to admit to.

What does 2013 hold for us?

Let's face it. We have no real idea. We make plans, we vision, we dream, we hope. But we have no real idea what will turn up from one moment to the next.

Whether positive or not, we will be surprised by the year. We'll take some decisions with clear sight and others more hoping for a good outcome.

What I'm challenging myself on for 2013 is becoming the leader I need to be. And I think it's important because I have a role to play in the greater scheme of things. 

Whatever the size of my dreams, whatever scope I'm envisaging, I will have to take the steps out in front... before I can expect anyone to follow me. Whether it's to be part of my community or as a helper to create that community.

So how about you?

What will you be the leader for in the next year?

I'd love to hear about your visions and your thoughts about leadership.

Let me know and if you're not already signed up for my Monthly Enfolding join our community

Take advantage of Julia McCutchen's birthday gift to you

 Julia McCutchen is offering a gift to writers... to celebrate her birthday.

Tom Evans, aka The Bookwright, on Channelling, today on WFYH12

Tom Evans, master at Bending Time and producing published books in 14 days, speaks on the subject of Channelling. at 7Pm UK and 11AM Pacific. Lively, direct and so supportive, Tom will share his views, ideas, and experience.

www.writingfromyourheart.com to sign up. Live session and 48 hour replay.

What would it do for your writing and your business to be able to go from blank page to book in your hand in 14 days?

www.tomevans.co.uk

Eileen Parr speaks on Writing From Your Heart Online Gathering tday

Never meant to speak. Didn't think I had anything much to say. Find out tonight at 7PM UK and 11AM Pacific, how and why that changed. Tune in live or on replay by signing up at www.writingfromyourheart.com 

Janet Conner speaks on Writing From Your Heart Online Gathering today

Janet Conner, author of Writing Down Your Soul and The Lotus and the Lily, discusses how she came to write her first book and find the way of writing that has created a sacred new way of living for her.

Find out why I wanted her to speak on this event and what impact she has had on me.

www.janetconner.com

Amethyst Wyldfyre asks - Are you Hiding Your True Power by not Speaking Out

A challenging interview in store for us today on Writing From Your Heart Online Gathering. Amethyst Wyldfyre offers a provocative perspective on how writers need to tackle these dangerous questions.

Like speaking out... and making money.

Still not reached your full potential? Do you know yet what your full potential might be... if you were prepared to speak out?

Come and join us in this most contentious conversation. Can we be heart centred... and rich? If not why not?

It's a topic that's been an obstacle for me for many years, and this year I'm tackling it head on. I do think it's time I sorted it. If that's you too, well join me as I talk to Amethyst. You can post questions if you join us live and I'll make sure they're covered in the interview.

Not yet registered for the event? That's easy to sort out - just go to www.writingfromyourheart.com. Takes seconds to register.

Amethyst has long experience of shaking people up... to help them fulfil their potential.

I'm prepared... I think!

Come and join us and see what happens.

For more on Amethyst and why I wanted to share her with you, www.theempoweredmessenger.com

For the Gathering Twitter conversation #WFYH12

Derek Rydall and The Law of Emergence: why it's the only law you need to achieve your full potential

Today's interview on the Writing From Your Heart Online Gathering, is with Derek Rydall, Hollywood actor, script writer, and author.

Never made the Law of Attraction work for you? Find out why and how you can finally accept you're perfect as you are.

Sceptical? Come and listen to Derek and park your sceptism for an hour while he explains what he means.

Find out why there's a buzz of conversation over at #WFYH12 and join in with your ideas on what it takes to be a heart centred writer.

As you might expect of an actor, Derek is a powerful speaker, but his words are from his experience and from his heart.  To get access to all the calls go to:

www.writingfromyourheart.com

For more about Derek visit www.lawofemergence.com

Joe Nunziata on Busting Your Karma to Heal Your Life

Today on Writing From Your Heart Online Gathering, I'll be interviewing Joe Nunziata, author of Karma Buster.

Have you ever wondered why you don't make any headway and you keep getting stuck in patterns that make no real sense to you? Listen to Joe and let him show you ways to dissolve those patterns.

Eight years ago I met up with Joe, telephonically when he coached me as a newbie in the writing business. Practical, focused and thorough, he helped me enormously and it will be a pleasure to talk to him again.

As a practitioner, not a theorist, Joe always looks for ways that work to move you on. So I'm expecting an  energetic and life affirming session with him.

If you haven't yet signed up to our community of writers, check us out at www.writingfromyourheart.com
You'll find like minded people trying to develop as heart centred writers, helping each other because we know when one grows, we all thrive.

Make a connection on Twitter at #WFYH12

We'd love to hear about your challenges, your successes and your needs.

For more about Joe's work www.JoeNunz.com

WFYH12 Online Gathering

Taking time to reflect on yesterday. During the day I was such a mixture of nerves and excitement. All the hard work, all the technical challenges - not my favourite part - finally coming together to create a place for us to meet.

Logging into the control panel for the event it was wonderful to see people joining us.Checking on who was asking questions during the discussion with Raphael underlined for me that you do want to know how to deal with the challenges we face being heart centred  writers.

I listened to quite a few of Raphael's recent series about Teaching What You Need to Learn. This featured spiritual teachers from many faiths and opened my eyes to some of their challenges. It's easy to think that because they are out in the world with that tag of being spiritual teachers and counsellors, they have all the answers.

Just as Raphael was prepared to share his vulnerabilities and issues, so did the people he interviewed and I listened to them much heartened.

As he said, living with an undercurrent of joy is one thing, but we still have to face daily challenges. Being able to rest on a secure foundation does mean that we recover faster maybe when we get knocked off balance.

That's a theme I think Sue Morter will talk about later. Looking forward to speaking to her.

August Gold on Igniting Your Creative Voice

Tomorrow on Writing From Your Heart Online Gathering, I interview August Gold, storyteller supreme.

I've been following August's work for some years and what I love about her is her down to earth spirituality. Host of the Happy Hour w/August Gold in New York and author of The Prayer Chest, she combines deep rooted belief in Spirit with a challenging but compassionate way of helping people face the obstacles in their lives.

No time to meditate? Let August show you how you can find those precious minutes that can change your life.

Our third speaker in our first week theme of being in your body, August's high energy delivery will have you laughing, sometimes at yourself, and draw you nearer to the truth of who you really are.

Join us over at www.writingfromyourheart.com Sign up for free, listen for free or to be sure you have all these not to be repeated conversations to keep, check out the event package.

For more about August's work, www.augustgold.net

Over on Twitter check out the #WFYH12 for the ongoing conversation.

Dr Sue Morter on the bridging of spirit and science

On Writing From Your Heart Online Gathering tomorrow 24 October 2012 my guest is Dr Sue Morter, internationally recognised for her work on bridging science, spirit and human possibility.

As the second speaker in Week 1 of our 5 week exploration into what it takes to be a heart centred writer today, Dr Sue as she is known to many people, will continue the theme of grounding us in our bodies while we serve spirit.

From an early age Dr Sue was taught by her father to question the unexpected events in people's health. What caused them, why they didn't respond to treatment and what the individual could do to change matters.

Taking things back to first principles, Dr Sue has built up an impressive body of work and I look forward to a lively, challenging and stimulating discussion.

If you're not signed up for the online gathering head over to www.writingfromyourheart.com  You'll find a list of the speakers and their subjects during our 5 week exploration of what it takes to be a heart centred writer today.

For more about Dr Sue check out her website www.morterhealthcenter.com

Raphael Cushnir talking about emotional connection

On Writing From Your Heart tomorrow I'll interview Raphael Cushnir, a well respected author and personal growth coach.

His book The One Thing Holding You Back is a hands on, practical approach to dealing with emotions.

A large topic and one that threatens all our lives at some time as we stumble over unwanted emotions and become blocked by not letting them go.

What happens when we don't deal with emotion that hits us? Whether it's anger because we feel we've no control over our lives or grief at some loss of a person or position, not first acknowledging then clearing the emotion can result in physical and or mental stresses.

That pain in the neck you have at the end of the working day? Yes you might have sat in a draught at work... or it might be the result of unresolved conflict with a colleague.

It's a fascinating subject and I'm looking forward to learning from Raphael's experience with clients.

His techniques include the 2 x 2 process and one I love the sound of, cradling your emotions.

If you're not already signed up to the Writing From Your Heart Online Gathering go to:

www.writingfromyourheart.com

Signing up is free. Listening to the interview can be free, live or during the 48 hour replay period. Or you can receive over 900 minutes of interviews and free resources to keep and listen to as often as you want, by upgrading to the event package.

For more information about Raphael's work go to:
www.cushnir.com

Writing From Your Heart Online Gathering

It's very odd beavering away, writing for this bit of software then that. Autoresponder message, emails, social media messages. So much of it is done here in my attic office with the huge window through which I can see blue sky and fluffy clouds.

The messages though are going out all over the world and that's the wonderful, exciting and miraculous journey they're taking. At the moment I have no idea about the people who are receiving them. That's what I want to happen as the Gathering begins and builds momentum.

Over the weekend, thanks to one of my speakers Linda Joy from Aspire Magazine, my contacts had quite a boost and I began to feel connected to others. That's the key intention of Writing From Your Heart. This is such an important time for all of us who attempt every day to live from the heart. Despite all the challenges and the obstacles, we open our hearts to others.

My daily meditation about the gathering includes a visualisation of me being a pin prick of light on the planet. Then I imagine other lights appearing all over the planet with connecting lines till I see a matrix of lines shooting off all over the place.

From the first idea, or I should say, nudge from Spirit, this event has emerged into being. I send it love and light every day and it is growing. What its outcomes will be I have no idea and it isn't important that I know all the connections that will be made during the event. All that's important is that they are made and we are all supported and encouraged as a result.

Writing From Your Heart Online Gathering 2012

Just been chatting with one of my event speakers, Linda Joy of Aspire Magazine. Lovely lady and so supportive of what I'm trying to do.

Which is create a safe space online for us to discuss how we can live and write from the heart.

For me it's been a scary topic for a long time. It's interesting that Sharon Crawford my wonderful telesummit trainer, remarked that the event website, www.writingfromyourheart.com reflected my gentle energy.

It took me a few minutes to accept the comment because I've tried to keep quiet about that side of me for a long time. In the business world, the gentle approach was not exactly the most successful approach. Certainly not 25 years ago when I went to a business meeting and was one of only 3 women among the grey suits.

Thank goodness it's changing now. And not only changing but accelerating as more people, particularly women are no longer prepared to put up a front.

It's been a year of significant change for me and I've surrendered to working from my heart in a way I never have before. Scary it has been... taking me into areas of activity I've never tried before.

I've had to face head on my tech phobia.
I've had to stick my head above the parapet in a big way.
I've had to accept the work Spirit wants me to do.

The only reason I felt able to do it is because I said I was doing it for other people.

Now of course I have to admit, while that's true, it's not the only truth. It can't help but be for me as well.
Just contacting all the speakers has influenced me and what will happen when we do the interviews I have no idea.

My life externally as well as internally looks very different now from six months ago. And I'm glad of it, because it was going nowhere as it was.

If you have any interest in writing from your heart, then I invite you to join our gathering. We begin on 23 October and that's such an exciting prospect. To be able to interview, 14 world class authors, speakers and agents of transformation.

Check out the website for the full list but they include Julia McCutchen and Tom Evans from the UK and Linda Joy and August Gold from the US. (and we have two Canadians)

Amethyst Wyldfyre on what are you ready to quit

We're so good at quitting when we take too much on. Are we as good at quitting at the things holding us back?

http://theempoweredmessenger.com/2012/08/03/visionary-leadership-skills-are-you-ready-to-quit/#comment-604

Sheila Steptoe shows you how to get unstuck

Sheila is a wonderful transformational speaker and coach. Had the privilege of talking to her recently and she offered to share her Passion and Purpose exercise with us.

http://www.sheilasteptoe.com/documents/PassionandPurposeexcercisefornewpathorcareer.pdf

How did this work for you?