Guest Post by Lee Hamblin author of ‘The Day’s First Wisp of Blue’ short stories and poetry

Why I love participating in Bibi’s Workshops

Like any form of creative endeavour, to do it, you need to DO IT. Musicians need to play, artist need to draw, writers need to write. It requires discipline and commitment.

So as a writer who usually spends an age formulating an idea/story to be given one of Bibi’s super-interesting prompts, and then only 15/20 minutes to write something is incredibly daunting but it takes me out of the over-thinking/over analysing of each word I put down and challenges me in a very different way. It takes me out of my comfort zone, and I just have to go with whatever flows out of it.

I find that these workshops fire up the synapses and neurons in my creative mind, so that when I do return to my WIP or write a new piece, I find my brain much more alive to the process.

Sharing words with other writers is so powerful - not only reading your work out loud (and find self-judgement disappearing out the window), but hearing what fellow creatives pick up in the words written, and to listen to other peoples take on the prompt, when we all are given the same jump-off point is so interesting.

Sitting for two hours with fellow writers is the most important aspect for me in these workshops, I might get a kernel of an idea I may develop at a later date, I may not... that’s not the be all for me, but I know doing these workshops have made me a better writer.

#midweekmeanderings