Wednesday 7 November 2018

Workshop – Prompts – Hilary Stevenson. 6 Nov 2018.


This workshop was about a method of sparking off getting fresh ideas.

Hilary lead us through three steps for idea creation.

First we took a single object, in this instance “star” and listed thoughts and associations provoked by the single word. The purpose was to let the mind stray from the single word. For instance the word star may trigger the concrete sidewalk in Hollywood where Actors’ stars are embedded. The word concrete might then take you further to invent a story of a collapsing concrete bridge due to multiple bodies being buried in the foundations.

We all worked to list  five different ideas or scenarios which the one word “star” could provoke.

Secondly, Hilary moved us on to looking at a photograph and creating five sentences which might form the basis of stories. Again the purpose was to let the mind take an idea and let it roam. - Lateral thinking.

The final twenty minutes exercise was for each of us to open a box of tiny items and weave a story around any or all of the objects in the box.

When all fourteen of us read out our stories (and one poem), there was an amazing and often amusing collection of diverse titles and subjects.

Although the exercises were hard work, they were also fun. The group thoroughly appreciated Hillary’s efforts to create and present such an imaginative workshop.

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In the short time available at the end, Jack and Sandra both read pieces about discoveries of human remains.

Joan Fr and John respectively gave us poems about the allure and problems of Cigarettes and Alcohol.

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Next week:-  Workshop – Woman’s Short Story – Betty McKay

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