Sunday 19 January 2020

The Writers Group.


There are some creatures who feel that they have an urge and need to be the next Catherine Cookson.  I  started (co-founded if you’re pretentious and need a lie down)  a creative writing group when I lived in Cheshire.  

I placed messages and posters in libraries, shops and local newspapers.  One night I received six really interesting phone calls.  Five of them were really positive and exciting.  The sixth one was very, very worrying;  One young man wanted to join the group and he wanted to know how much he would get paid for :
“Writing summat?” 
He then informed me that he couldn’t come to any of the meetings for the forthcoming future.  He had been involuntary sectioned in the secure unit of the local psychiatric unit. 
“Oh I see”,
Said yours truly. 
“I look forward to meeting you when you are released from your place of confinement.” 
I never actually. I just said a prayer and stopped advertising my phone number in the local rag or the window of a book shop on the corner near  the race course. 

The first Writer’s meeting was very well attended.  We all introduced ourselves and talked about our writing ambitions.  One man wrote poetry and short stories.  He had no intention of attempting to get published, but he liked the company of other writers.  I said I write humour and I have always dreamed of becoming a published author.
A tall man in his fifties with a groomed beard and upper crust accent spoke up:
 “I am an expert in all forms of creative writing.  Currently I’m writing a book, well not actually writing, more research really”. 
“Oh really”
Said I. 
“What’s it called?” 
The man sighed and announced triumphantly in a rather bombastic way:
 “It’s called DRACULA!” 
I wonder where he thought of that one?


I have often thought it would make a great sitcom:  The Writers Group.  What do you think?

41 comments:

  1. Crikey, you never know with people. Not sure about a sit-com but it might be amusing to broadcast it amongst friends, and the press of course.

    ReplyDelete
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  2. Hi Valerie. I met some interesting characters. It's about twenty years a go. I think The Writers Group could be like the classic English sitcom Dear John. We could write it for any interested television companies?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Well, you can't say you haven't had an interesting life so far!

    ReplyDelete
  4. It's definitely been interesting JayCee. I think that's why I miss public transport so much. I love people watching and seeing the characters. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  5. A kind of reincarnated dead poets society where James Joyce meets Lord Byron, Dylan Thomas and the author of the Book of Revelations in a Dublin bar to chew the froth and pen a verse or two on pressing topics such as 101 things you can do in a poly tunnel. Cool idea Dave 😎! Count me in.

    ReplyDelete
  6. A bit like the Detectorists although I have only seen one episode but it makes me think of them, an eccentric writers group. When I was at Art School my tutor said I should write a sit com about life in an art school. I was always writing stuff down and putting it in my work or just keeping it in notebooks.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Midnight In Paris also comes to mind Gwil. Probably one of Woody Allen's finest films where the car turns up every night and they go back to nineteen thirties Paris and people like Hemingway criticizes their writing over dinner in a lavish Parisian restaurant. Dead Poets Society was pretty special too! Are there any Biopic films about DT? You have got wonderful creative imagination Gwil.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. When I look at some of my poems from years ago (eg - Sunday Interlude is a poem on Poet in Residence) I often wonder who wrote them?

      Delete
  8. The Unthanks composed the The Detectorists and the recent Worzel Gummidge theme tunes Rachel. Cool idea for an Art school. It could be really Bohemian and students could pretend or believe that they were famous artists. Yeah you have got something there. I like it. Thanks Rachel.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I went to a creative writing evening class a long time ago. I then had the effrontery to take along a piece about a creative writing class caricaturing the tutor and some of the students. Didn't go down well with some. Keep thinking of putting it on my blog but it's too 1970s and un-PC.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Go for it Tasker. There's a lot of luvvies and so called 'writers' who take themselves far too serious. I await your creative writing class. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love un-PC writing Tasker! I am sure you are still very good at it. Feel free to slag off Lancastrians as much as you want.

      Delete
  11. Replies
    1. Not at all Joanne. You should start your own writing group.

      Delete
  12. With the name of the book being Dracula I wonder what sort of research he was doing?
    How is your book going?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Linda. You meet some zany characters. My book needs rewriting or restructuring. I like a lot of it but it goes off on tangents a lot. Have you started your cook book?

      Delete
  13. I used to belong to a writer's group, and most of the members had eccentric personalities which would have been ideal for a sitcom.
    I love the process of creating words on the page / computer screen.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No exactly what you mean Vera about the eccentric characters. Thanks.

      Delete
  14. That would make a good sitcom. The leader of the group would be a character called Davey Northsider played by John Cleese. He would attempt to run the writers' group like the commandant of a prisoner of war camp and God protect anyone who did not do their homework apart from Miss Primrose played Joanna Lumley who would always receive favourable treatment from "The Fuhrer". Working title for the show -"Anyone Can Write".

    ReplyDelete
  15. I think I would prefer Michael Palin to play me YP. But yes I would commission Anyone Can Write. It's very out of the box. Great ideas.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Michael Palin? I thought you'd be after Chris Hemsworth.

      Delete
  16. Michael's from Sheffield isn't he?

    ReplyDelete
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Onion Set Planting.

I still managed to plant up two of the new planters/raised beds with onion sets in the rain yesterday. Notice the white root sock in the com...