I believe that a good translator should be a good writer too. So I just finished my second round of Amsterdam Writers Stretch and Tone workshops with Matthew Curlewis, who does a great job coaching us – intriguing prompts and lots of encouragement. The prompt can be anything from a couple of lines as a starting point or as inspiration to a crazy list of nouns and adjectives that have nothing to do with each other whatsoever but you have to make something of them. Yesterday evening, we had to start a piece of writing with the words ‘In this one, you are…’ and go on to write about a photograph, real or imagined. I have quite a collection of work, from the 14 sessions. I’ve learned about types of writing such as flash fiction and narrative fiction. Next step is to re-read and edit it all; kill your darlings!
The people were lovely too, each with their own recognisable style. When Jeff uses the word ‘redolent’ in his feedback, you know you’re in a really great writing workshop! The group has decided to carry on meeting after this, just to write and encourage each other to keep writing. It’s a pleasure to listen to what the others have written and to give and receive feedback on our efforts. So watch this space, the next step is to look for a bigger audience!