Our Creative Writing class has continued with members selecting from a list of topics to write a story and then share with the class.  After reading the stories, the members are providing feedback to the authors.

The topics for our July class were:

The surface of the lake was like a mirror
The greatest thing in the world
The four beautiful people were laughing
Within minutes it was all action

The class seemed to enjoy the range of topics, with each topic used at least once.  One class member even managed to weave in all four topics.  Two stories created four different characters, telling about their lives.  It will be interesting to see if these different characters could be used to write new stories based in future months if the prompts work.

Some members continue to also write entries for the Australian Writers’ Centre Furious Fiction over the first weekend of the month.  For August, we were challenged to write something humorous including a sandwich plus the words DIZZY, EXOTIC, LUMPY, TINY, TWISTED.  We found this combination challenging.  For example, I do not normally write humorous stories.  It will be interesting to read the winning story at the end of the month.  You can see them on the Australian Writers’ Centre Furious Fiction page (https://www.writerscentre.com.au/furious-fiction/) after 26 August.

Our next class is scheduled for 14 September with a choice between the following topics:

I have already set down the details of some of the most notorious things we did.
There were other victories
Still the woman approached

We will continue to share our stories and feedback via email.  If anyone else would like to write on any of these topics, please send them to me at jshirley@internode.on.net and I will forward to the class, and also share the stories from the class with you.

Joy Shirley

yOur Creative Writing class has continued with members selecting from a list of topics to write a story and then share with the class.  After reading the stories, the members are providing feedback to the authors.

The topics for our July class were:
Can you ever forgive me? (an idea from a class member)
She gazed at the box, fascinated and horrified.
He did indeed look very far from gloomy

The stories were varied, with all topics used by at least one member of the class.  The box seemed to be very popular, with at least one member of the class looking at it from a different perspective – a mobile phone as seen by someone from the 19th century.  There are a couple of class members who are writing a much larger story (a full novel perhaps), using the prompts as inspiration.  But this month some other class members have also written sequels to earlier stories.

Some members continue to also write entries for the Australian Writers’ Centre Furious Fiction over the first weekend of the month.  For July, the main criterion was for the story to be based around a wedding or a funeral.  We are still hoping that one of our stories will at least make the “long list”.

Our next class is scheduled for 10 August with a choice between the following topics:
The surface of the lake was like a mirror
The greatest thing in the world
The four beautiful people were laughing
Within minutes it was all action

We will continue to share our stories and feedback via email.  If anyone else would like to write on any of these topics, please send them to me at jshirley@internode.on.net and I will forward to the class, and also share the stories from the class with you.

​Joy Shirle