I have just come back from the Hay Book Festival and I am once again full of ideas and energy – the kind of energy you get from being around people who feel the same way about certain things that you do. In this case, it is books. I don’t speak to the majority of people who attend – basically there are thousands and even someone with my interest in talking to loads of people all the time can’t do that (not in two days anyway) – but I know they love reading. Some may love writing. Some may want to write but haven’t yet started.
What I’m trying to say is that, when you write, you don’t have to be alone all the time. Sometimes you need to be, but you can sit in cafes and write and be alone with other people around you – the same goes for a library, or a bench in a park, or on a beach..you can write anywhere. And I have discovered over the past few years one of my favourite things – buddy writing – in which you sit in a cafe with a friend or two, grab a coffee or two, write a bit, chat a bit, write a bit, chew over ideas, write a bit…and so on and so forth. When I do it, I don’t even have to talk about my book, it’s enough to know the people with me are writing too. The whole experience motivates me and makes me feel connected.
This is why myself and fellow author, Lizzie Chantree have organised a free Buddy Writing Meet Up in Chelmsford on Tuesday 5th July. We both know how good for you writing can be, whether you are published, want to be published, or have never written before. We also know how helpful it is to be around other people who feel the same way
(This photo is an example of an outside meet-up..)
The session is at Fete Grays Yard in Chelmsford between 10.30 and and 12.30 and the idea is you book yourself on it, grab yourself a coffee, or tea, or juice, and or cake etc, come upstairs to this lovely space, and write. We’ll start off with a thirty minute writing sprint – just see how it goes, nobody will be checking your word count or anything – then we’ll have a break, do another writing sprint then hang around after that for a chat so you can meet your fellow writers.
It’s not a workshop, it is simply a way to connect to other people with the same interest which will help you to write more or start writing.
Here’s the link to book yourself in