Writing for Wellbeing: The Salon for Sanity

12/06/2023

Hey it's been a while, hasn't it? I'm thinking of getting this group back up and running and was wondering who would be interested if I did? Let me know so I can get an idea of numbers and whatnot.

09/11/2020

Hello there! It's been awhile. As much as we wanted to get the Salon back on its feet we have been thwarted at the moment. But fear not I am starting a free online series of workshops about writing poetry. If you might be interested than you can find more information on The Goldfish Workshops group on FB. The first one will be this Wednesday evening. Hope you are well and having a good day.

19/03/2020

During this time where many of us are self-isolating we could do no better than take a page out of Boccaccio's 'Decameron' where in 1348 a party takes refuge from the plague. While waiting for events to blow over they tell each other stories to enchant their uncertainties. At the Salon we can do the same. If you have a story or are working on something than please feel free to share with us on this page. We would love to hear from you.

17/03/2020

Unfortunately due to current events there will be no Salon this Friday 20th March and possible not one on the 3rd of April.

We will still be putting up writing prompts on this page on those dates so that you can still participate while at home.

Will is on Watsapp if you need to contact him and you can give us a message on this page.

We wish you the best of health, carry on reading and writing and hopefully we will be back soon.

From the Salon team.

08/03/2020

'Characters pre-exist. They are found. They reveal themselves slowly-as might fellow travellers seated opposite one in a very dimly lit carriage.' - Elizabeth Bowen.

This week we'll be looking at characters and how to develop one with a few exercises.

1) Look at these items and create a character who owns them:
Business card
Dusty radio
Silver locket
Bottle of herbal medicine
Auburn hair dye
Fortune telling cards
Jar of sharpened pens
Brand new laptop

2) Choose one of these stereotypes or one of your own and portray them in a complex way:

Boring accountant
Inarticulate footballer
Vain film star
World weary detective

3)Take one of your characters and develop them through your interpretation of them, their appearance, their action, their thought, and their speech.

Take about ten minutes each to complete these exercises then read them later on commenting on what you liked about it. Happy writing!

10/02/2020

Our writing prompt for the last session was to write a permission note to yourself.

The idea is to give you licence to write without worry. Worry about whether if you are a good writer or not, or whether you feel guilty for writing.

This is an opportunity for you to allow yourself to give time to writing and make it a priority without fear.

Give yourself ten minutes to write this up then go back to it later in the day and note how you feel about it.

Have a great day and we'll see you next time.

02/01/2020

Writing for Wellbeing 2020: Next session date below!

Hi everyone, and a happy new year!

A big thankyou from Alistair and I for all the support since the group started last September, and for those who have attended and/or continue to attend! Building a space in W-S-M for people of all backgrounds, skills and levels of confidence to share a space and write together has been a fantastic experience for us, and hopefully for you too!

We're looking to continue through 2020 and add in a few extra events and features based on the feedback of our members (that includes prospective attendees too!).

Our next sessions are as follows (As always; Weston Artspace - opposite Poundland!)

Friday 10th January 15:00-16:30

Friday 24th January 15:00-16:30

Wishing you a good 2020, and good mental health!

07/10/2019

Here are the writing exercises from last Friday:

1) Think of a room or place you know well. Think of the details of that place that maybe go unnoticed. Write a description of that place with as much detail as you can put in.

2) In this place write about it with the senses in mind. How does it feel? Is there a smell? What about taste? Can you hear anything? Are any of these things linked to something in your past? If so include that in your writing.

3) Read the following poem and ask what senses does he use?

DEATH OF A NATURALIST BY SEAMUS HEANEY
All year the flax-dam festered in the heart
Of the townland; green and heavy headed
Flax had rotted there, weighted down by huge sods.
Daily it sweltered in the punishing sun.
Bubbles gargled delicately, bluebottles
Wove a strong gauze of sound around the smell.
There were dragon-flies, spotted butterflies,
But best of all was the warm thick slobber
Of frogspawn that grew like clotted water
In the shade of the banks. Here, every spring,
I would fill jampotfuls of the jellied
Specks to range on window-sills at home,
On shelves at school, and wait and watch until
The fattening dots burst into nimble-
Swimming tadpoles. Miss Walls would tell us how
The daddy frog was called a bullfrog
And how he croaked and how the mammy frog
Laid hundreds of little eggs and this was
Frogspawn. You could tell the weather by frogs too,
For they were yellow in the sun and brown
In rain.

Then one hot day when fields were rank
With cowdung in the grass the angry frogs
Invaded the flax-dam; I ducked through hedges
To a coarse croaking that I had not heard
Before. The air was thick with a bass chorus.
Right down the dam gross-bellied frogs were cocked
On sods; their loose necks pulsed like sails. Some hopped:
The slap and plop were obscene threats. Some sat
Poised like mud grenades, their blunt heads farting.
I sickened, turned, and ran. The great slime kings
Were gathered there for vengeance and I knew
That if I dipped my hand the spawn would clutch it.

Give yourself about ten minuets for each exercise and review your work later on in the day.

Happy writing!

23/08/2019

Writing exercises for you to partake in:
1) Write about your day and how it has affected you.
2) Write about your month and how it has affected you
3) Write a haiku (5-7-5 syllables) including some aspect of your journal
4) Write a letter including some aspects of your journal to someone who might be interested
5) Write a future log about what you would like to achieve

Give yourself about ten minutes for each exercise and review what you liked about each one afterwards.

Much love

23/08/2019

We talked about bullet journals today and here is a good video explaining what they are:

Check us out on Facebook! - facebook.com/buzzfeednifty MUSIC Interstate 80 West_Main Licensed via Warner Chappell Production Music Inc. STILLS shamanic flora...

09/08/2019

This is a video on deliberate practice, which was mentioned during today's session.

Deliberate practice is a mindful and highly structured form of learning by doing. This video about it was made possible by the support of our http://www.patr...