What Makes A Good Friend? #Writing

Me (centre), Kris Prescott (left of me) & Leah Boonthanom (far right) hanging out with our teenage focus group in advance of the workshop.

This week I was hanging out with teenage writers, helping them write their stories and get those words into print. When I was a young writer, writing was absolutely everything to me. It was more important in fact than anything else in life – friends, family, school, even my personal safety! (Some day I’ll have to tell you about the night I chased a mugger into a dark deserted city housing estate* because in the bag he’d stolen was the only copy of a poem I’d written that day – I caught him too!)

*not recommended!

The theme of the day…

Writing was so important to me because it felt like the only stable thing in my life. Writing was always there for me, the empty page waiting to listen when no one else would or could. The pen was my friend, forgiving of my mistakes and accepting of who I was without reservation. Even today, in a world such as ours of smiling faces then cloaks and daggers, I know few people who can be a friend like that for me.

Knowing this, knowing how writing can act as a coping mechanism in life, I have a passion for helping anyone who’ll listen to write from their hearts, about life, about new and exciting worlds, or to simply play around with words until their minds feel lighter and more free. I have spoken before about why I think everyone should write, and this week I got to really push home the point. And I was amazed at how closely these young writers listened.

Underneath all their bravado some had real secrets to share, while others simply loved to create fantastical worlds where anything could happen – and often did! Each one of them appreciated the escapism that writing could offer, and I loved that. Once their imaginations were set free, they created non-stop until it was time to go home… even then, half the group called their parents and arranged to stay a few extra hours. I don’t blame them – the atmosphere in that room was electric with creativity.

While some were naturally drawn to writing in solitude with minimal guidance, others preferred to write under the safety of direct mentorship. Either way, at the end of the day, everyone had a finished piece of writing, which will now be collated into a collective anthology/magazine and printed. Seeing your words in print is a thrill for any writer, and I hope these young minds come to love that feeling as much as I do… because whether writing is the stable friend who listens without judging, or the friend who simply makes you smile – it’s a friend I’d recommend everyone finds either by writing themselves or reading the writing of others.

Thank you to my awesome Northern Beaches Writers’ Group for your constant support over the last few months organising this event, for helping me coordinate the day itself and of course mentoring alongside me – Kris Prescott, Chris Lake, Leah Boonthanom and Theresa Holliday.

Thank you Shelley Wilson for helping our writers translate their words into meaningful artworks to feature in the collective magazine/anthology.

Thank you Manly Library for all your help, including taking bookings, promoting the event and loaning us your meeting room.

Thank you Manly Arts Festival for including our event in your inspiring program…

Thank you Rod Bennett at the Manly Daily for promoting our event in your awesome newspaper…

Click on the image to read the full article.

Thank you for the yummy food: Hamlets Pies, Roaming Gourmet & Cookbook Catering…

Plus, advance thanks to Officeworks Dee Why for the printing…

We were all very lucky to have your support, which we really appreciate. Thank you!