Writer's Retreat

  

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Our walk in Kippure Estate

Firstly let me advise that some of the prerequisites for being able to fully participate in this weekend included an unhealthy desire for chocolate, jellies, sticky pink toffees and of course the biggest obsession of all, Xfactor!  It is important to note for record purposes, that there was an enormous increase in the level of creativity post the Saturday night show, as some members who remarkably had not up to that point experienced such a phenomenon (I know it is impossible to believe), had their world expanded with a treasure all 'would be creative people' need to explore







Writing Fuel



Dedication!





The weekend was held in Kippure Lodge, and there were 8 of us in total.  We kick started the weekend with a random pick from a deck of cards and we each wrote a short piece based around our chosen card.  I got the 3 of Spades, and because sometimes I like to be a minor rebel, I wrote not about the number 3, but 'trees' in an orchard.  One of the lines included something I read in a book last year, about how it takes a great and generous man to plant a tree,for it's full beauty will only be revealed to the earth long after the man is gone. It struck a cord with the philosophical side of my personality!







 

The Energetic Writers!

We did about 10 different exercises in all over the weekend including rap style poetry, group poetry, flash fiction and speaking in public, managing to get the odd healthy walk in our beautiful surroundings. We also explored a new phenomenon on the Saturday night, (after Xfactor of course), that of 'hot seating'.  Basically, it is an exercise that facilitates your exploration of a character in a poem, short story, novel, play etc.  You are very simply placed in the 'hot seat' (in this case a pine farmhouse chair with a big white pillow), and are bombarded with questions about your character.  I might add that once you are in the hot seat, you become the character and must answer in the character's voice.  Everyone took part, and the exercise took on a very theatrical persona.  We all discovered things about our chosen characters that we did not know before, and I think it is fair to say, that the characters became more alive, not just for the person in the hot seat but for all those lucky enough to be introduced to the wide and varied bunch that we call our fictional beings. It is important to note here that the following morning, some of the younger members of the group found the gruelling exercises too much to bear and felt that the dedication to the art of writing impinged on their dedication to sleep!



Sleepy Youngest!

 The best part of the weekend of course was the company, and seeing as how it was made up of members from The Lucan Writers Group, it was a great success, for they had the power not only to endure the lack of heating on a very cold Friday night in Wicklow, but they could also draw on their creativity to create their own form of heat! Anyhow, I had one of the best weekends, I have had for a long time.

 

If you want to know more about Lucan Writers, you can visit their website at http://www.lucanwriters.ie/



Creative Fire