Category: Young Writers’ Programme
Creative and Active Lives – October Events!
Forget your lockdown blues and come and have some fun at Moniack Mhor in October. We have two events, ‘If Streets Could Talk …’ (Oct 12th-14th) and ‘Rhythm and Poetry: Rap, Hip-hop and Spoken Word’ (Oct 19th-21st), open to care experienced young people aged 14-26. View flyers for full info,…
WORDS ON WEDNESDAYS #2
Our young writers have been participating in online workshops #wordsonwednesdays during lockdown. We asked if they’d be happy for us to share some of their responses to tasks set by the workshop leaders. Here is the next in the series, by Gary MacLennan, inspired by exercises set by John Glenday.…
Words on Wednesdays #1
Our young writers have been participating in online workshops #wordsonwednesdays during lockdown. We asked if they’d be happy for us to share some of their responses to tasks set by the workshop leaders. Here is the first, by Mathew Anderson, inspired by exercises set by John Glenday. We hope you…
Writing Exercise #14: A Note Discovered
Writing Exercise 14 – A Note Discovered This month’s writing exercise is inspired by a note recently discovered in one of the rooms at Moniack Mhor, almost exactly a year after it was written. It said, ‘When you find me, smile and give Cashew a hug’ – for context, Cashew,…
Writing Exercise #13: New Years Resolutions
Writing Exercise 13 – New Years Resolutions Write a short story or poem, or even just a passage of prose on the subject of new years resolutions, but here’s the catch – they can’t be the same as any of the resolutions you’ve made for yourself this year. Put yourself…
Writing Exercise #12: Weather and Loss
Writing Exercise 12 – Weather and Loss Choose a kind of weather, and then imagine something has been lost in it, or because of it. Maybe an object has been dropped in the snow, or long lost love letters have blown away in the wind, or maybe a boat has disappeared in a…
Writing Exercise #11: Song Lyrics
Writing Exercise 11 – Song Lyrics Choose your favourite song title or song lyric, or even part of a lyric will do – make sure it’s a line that really gets your imagination fired up. Then take the title or lyric and use it as the title for a poem or…
Writing Exercise #10: Ten Minute Free Write
This week’s exercise comes from Alan Bissett, who will be tutoring two creative writing workshops in Inverness in January. He suggests this exercise as a warm up for a writing session or a quick way to get your brain firing off ideas. Writing Exercise 10 – Ten Minute Free Write…
Writing Exercise #9: Statement Poem
This week’s exercise is a journal prompt that lends itself well to writers of all kinds. Each line starts with a statement that you can finish however you want. This is a chance to work on metaphor and simile within a poem. You can also use it as a way…
Writing Exercise #8: The Box Exercise
Today’s exercise comes from local poet and long time Moniack tutor, John Glenday. Write three short paragraphs/verses/sections about a box. Your box can be as real or as imaginary as you like. You can stretch the rules so that the box can be any container, or vaguely box shaped thing…