Friday, October 8, 2010

Day Twenty Nine: Writers Group

Last night I went to the West Waterford Writers Group, and as always really enjoyed to be in the company of writers.
This nights facilitator had brought in a series of objects, from a Jerusalem Bible, cookbook, crossword book, travel stories, to Rosary beads and an engagement ring.
We were asked to write about any of these 'subjects'. The stories that emerged where diverse. Some had the capability of growing into a much longer story.
This is what I wrote:

At first glance the Bible stood out as it links in with my current writing - Noa's fictional autobiography.
Noa describes her birth- and how within the first twelve hours of being in this world she was whisked away from the cosy hospital ward to the cold sacristy of the parish church.
"Holy water cleansed me of my Sins.
I was chosen to be a child of someone called God.
I had only just acquainted myself with my parents...
And my great grand mother.
I now was given Godparents
Who are also my siblings.
and then there was someone called an aunt who took me from the arms of my Godmother-sister,
Whom to trust?"

In this fictional autobiography Noa is aware that in almost 560 days she will be 50 years old.
So far the themes that are jumping out are: flying, shadows, and an imaginative mind- needed to stay afloat in a family which had long established itself, and to find her way in her current life.
At the age of four, while singing a song with her classmates about a helicopter and and being happy up in the clouds, she takes on that sentiment -Flying becomes her dream/wish.

That's where the travel book -(one of the props)- comes in.
Will Noa travel in her mind as much as I have done in the past? Travel in thought, when a journey to the bathroom or kitchen was an adventure in itself.

I am planning to write Noa's memoir as one of.... have to think .. I am planning to write Noa's memoir as to the life I didn't have (for the past 12 years) - as in cycling to the local coffee shop, long walks up the mountain - a life of being well...
But I struggle with that sentiment- What is being well? I am well.
Is Noa me?
Am I Noa?
Who knows. - I will tell you the next time we meet and got to know Noa a bit better in the meantime.
(end)

I am excited to facilitate the next meeting which has the theme of this story Apples and Books

After the meeting I asked a few other writers about my current 'dilemma' of re-publishing Hatched - or not... To make a very exciting story short, the final outcome was to re-publish and to re-launch both my book. One of the participants - a PR man, is interested to work with me.
I was so excited about that news, and the support I got that I couldn't get to sleep... Facebook friends were there to congratulate me on this development.
Thank you all!

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