INKSPILL

FRIDAY 25th October – DAY 1

 Time to work on your own writing projects.

 

Edit
Spend any writing time on your own projects – let us know how you get on.

INKSPILL – 1st Task – First Dip 3/3

FRIDAY 25th October – DAY 1

 

 First Dip (into the Fountain) a 3-part writing activity.

Your 1^st Task – A Page On… 3/3

3 Part Task

Re-read the 3 pages, find your associations and make another list (this one is unique to you)

e.g;

3) Friendship cake, the 80’s, green kitchen

See how far another page of writing takes you – it’s endless.

All the writing (6 pages) you just produced for the 1^st task is ready-made material, by that I mean it was already in you. Your memories, your life

Rule 3# right?

Rule 3# Write (from) what you know.

You may deem this writing to be rubbish or nonsense or useless. It may mean something to you later. You may use some of it as a base for a character or a situation. You may have written a phrase that eventually becomes the opening line of a short story.

Or you could be right, maybe it rubbish! (I doubt it) Honour Rule 4.

Rule 4# Never throw any writing away!

You never know when opening that notebook or scanning that post may help you out from a hole or a block or become something quite spectacular.

INKSPILL – 1st Task – First Dip 2/3

FRIDAY 25th October – DAY 1

 

 First Dip (into the Fountain) a 3-part writing activity.

 

Your 1^st Task – A Page On… 2/3

3 Part Task

Read it back. Find something that surprises you.

In amongst all the clichés and descriptions I am sure you can find a spark, a memory than suddenly unleashed itself, something you didn’t expect (in the beginning) – a surprise.

As writers’ it is these moments of surprise that we should capitalise on. These are the moments where the writing becomes unique to us. This is an association you have made that no one else can. These are your connections, the emergence of your own unique voice.

INKSPILL 1st Task – First Dip 1/3

FRIDAY 25th October – DAY 1

 

 First Dip (into the Fountain) a 3-part writing activity.

First Dip

Your 1^st Task – A Page On… 1/3

3 Part Task

This activity can be done and posted openly on your blog (please leave a link here in the comments) or in your notebook, whichever you prefer.

Write a page on each of the following;

Your Favourite Book

Fireworks

A particular meal

INKSPILL – Good Morning Friday – Ideas for Writing Everyday

FRIDAY 25th October – DAY 1

Ideas for writing everyday. (Participation for the 3 mornings of INKSPILL)

Good Morning Friday

Ideas for Writing Everyday

This is something I want you to start today and do tomorrow and Sunday before you log into Inkspill.

You may find it beneficial to continue this practise after the retreat, maybe for a week, or a fortnight, month or more. Early morning journaling is not a new idea and some of you may already do this.

Today is different, we are logged in… but the 1^st task of Inkspill will be to free write – decide for yourself if you want 5 – 10- 15 or 20 minutes to do this, decide for yourself if you are going to set an alarm to interrupt the flow or if you are going to wing it. (As long as you do 5 minutes it will work). When I first learnt about the art of free writing (back in the 90’s) I was taught that if the thoughts go – keep the pen moving – doodle if you have to – just let the pen take you back into the writing.

Try to open your mind – this is why this activity is best done as soon as you wake up – whilst your head is still in that hazy half place between sleeping and waking.

Tomorrow you may even try this activity in bed!

This writing is JUST FOR YOU. You needn’t share any writing from journaling activities unless you want to. If you cant manage to do it first thing, do it in the first available moments you can snatch in the morning before you log onto the day’s programme.

I will ask you to do something with these morning scribbles at the end of the retreat (once again that can be kept personal and needn’t be shared.)

Remember this write wont be perfect – it is a free write no editing – just keep your pen moving forwards for 5 minutes or 10 or 15 to 20 minutes (you can build up the minutes over the weekend).

Just write anything.

If you truly are blank use these as starting points and let the writing take you;

• Write down 5 sounds you can hear and something you associate with that sound, use all 5 or just pick one. Write.
• Look around the room, find an object and describe it. What does it mean to you? Where is it from? Write.
• Open your bedside book and pick a line, the first one you glance at. Copy it down and write.
• If you don’t have a bedside book choose one of these lines from mine;

All this time she’d been breathing for him, or so she believed. It was dark in the living room when Gretel walked through.

(c) Alice Hoffmann (Local Girls –1999)

Often people what to know WHY? So here’s the point:

The morning free write is all about finding the beginning of your voice.

Remember don’t aim for brilliance… aim for free – it is amazing what writes out of your mind.

INKSPILL – Getting Started

FRIDAY 25th October – DAY 1

Getting Started

Let’s Get Started

You will need.

• A Notebook (and pen)

Either treat yourself to a fresh one for the retreat and subsequent scribbles or use your current writing notebook – of course you have one!

• Rule 1# Every writer should have a notebook

• Rule 2 # You should keep it on you at all times and scribble any snippets of inspiration or overheard conversations and so on.

• Access to this blog.

I would love you to FOLLOW if you are taking part in any part of this retreat – I am not charging you for the fun and I would appreciate and accept a follow as thank you gesture. Plus once you FOLLOW we will be in your feed and you will find out about similar events and opportunities in the future!

Your blog (to link us to time and time again!) Of course you may end up with some new followers too – there are so many wonderful blogs out there in Blogland and it is hard to find them all by yourself.

I have planned the programme so it has a natural flow, if you are dipping in and find that the post has a 2 part theme I will always leave you the relevant links to help you get the full picture.

If you are living with GMT you can literally enjoy the excitement of the sessions as they unfold, for others I would ask you to follow the retreat programme in sequence. You can always pretend the next post just appeared (if you are asked to leave the site and do something for 15 minutes – be good to your writer self and do it.) Pretend the rest of the programme isn’t on the blog – for people following in real time I am actively participating in the writing retreat exercises, if we are on a break- we are on a break!

Let’s get going!

INKSPILL Motivation Video

FRIDAY 25th October – DAY 1

 A short motivational video to get your creativity into a state of frenzy!

 

I hope to embed the video – until then use this link

 

 

 

INKSPILL Register Information

FRIDAY 25th October – DAY 1

 Register FREE – Information.

 

Please leave some information in a comment here to let us know who is taking part or dipping into Inkspill.

Thank you, enjoy the weekend!

INKSPILL WELCOME

FRIDAY 25th October – DAY 1

 A welcome introduction to the weekend writing retreat.

INKSPILL

Good morning and welcome to AWF’s Writing Retreat. I know you are going to enjoy this weekend. You have taken the first step. You have given yourself permission and you have logged in and arrived.

Simple RULES;
Please FOLLOW awritersfountain blog to take part in the weekend.
LIKE the post when you have read it.

I would appreciate this because I am offering you this weekend free of charge and hope that you will spread the word of the retreat to others. Also from a pure admin point if you LIKE each post after you read them I can see who’s taking part.

REMEMBER you can dip in, use the bits that are useful or fun (or both) to you. Or challenge yourself to absorb a writers’ life for an entire day, night or weekend.

You don’t have to make ALL your writing public (unless you wish to) you are more than welcome to leave links back to your work in the comments box or use pingbacks.

You now have to decide whether you are going to be a dipper or a participant – either way you are welcome. I have dedicated myself to the retreat as a facilitator, I vow to only write INKSPILL posts all weekend, other than visiting your blogs to share the experience I will not be present elsewhere in Blogland nor participate in the weekend challenges that I usually do. I am treating this as if I was away for a weekend on retreat (how we can dream of affording such things).

Of course I am not advocating that you should follow suit – having said that I would appreciate if you share your ideas and work with each other. (As writers on retreat).

WELCOME to a weekend of a range of stimulating activities and discussions. A place you are free to offer and receive feedback from fellow writers.

All images used in INKSPILL were originally sourced from Creative Commons images and are copyright free.

Adapted graphics 

© N. Lewis 2013

InkSpill

Delay on Writing Retreat today as had a call to work,
will post first INKSPILL sessions by Lunchtime and normal program will resume this evening.

Sorry for any inconvience.