Saturday's Workshop with Mike Smith

What a joy, not only the venue, the leader but also my lovely friend Di Perry was there too. Sadly though we were the only two but for us, sounding very selfish, it was fantastic. We had time to sit and talk, discuss different aspects of writing and also to share our own thoughts and opinions.

Mike Smith who writes under the name of Brindley Hallam Dennis led the workshop. Why he uses that name is quite a story but it's not place to tell it but bless him for sharing it as well as sharing with us his love not only of writing but of words too.

Picture Credit - Diane Perry

We started where everything starts at the beginning - looking at different openings which set the scene and introduced us to the characters. It also showed how even in the first paragraph the writer using words, descriptions can set the time the story is set in without always having to tell you. My favourite example given was from 'The Tailor of Gloucester' by Beatrix Potter.

In the time of swords and periwigs and full-skirted coats with flowered lappets - when genlemen wore ruffles and gold-lace waistcoats of paduasoy and taffeta - there lived a tailor in Gloucester.'


Isn't that beautiful? You can visualise the setting, the time and yet she only uses so very few words. Something definitely to aspire to as a writer.

We then looked at location. To be honest I don't often think of location when I'm writing because I don't find it so important, as a rule, unless the story is set in a specific place or I identify certain buildings etc, within the story. But what I did find interesting was how thinking of a location can focus your mind on a story itself. A different way of working and one I'll try.

Style was next on the list. We all know how we have an individual style and mine, at times can be more individual than most but as writers I think we all can write in different styles, depending on what we're writing about. The most important to me is the use of language, a modern, contemporary piece is written in a different language say to something set fifty years ago.

The exercises we did were fun. We had to write a beginning to a short story and it proved that Di and I have different styles but in both cases, it's amazing what comes out when you're asked just to sit and write. I love that challenge, write on the spot my brain works in a different way and often I surprise myself as to what comes out.

I had a really fantastic day and it was so lovely to be able to sit down and talk about writing to share with others, instead of being a lonely writer hiding under the stairs.

Maybe we'll meet up with Mike again when he comes back to Shropshire - I do hope so.