I had a light-bulb moment the other day.

Island Writers has almost reached maximum capacity, and with the lazy days of summer behind us, soon we’ll have to freeze membership again. But that leaves many Isle of Wight writers still looking for support and encouragement from a group of enthusiastic writer friends. Non-members are welcome to join the Island Writers facebook group, but it’s not the same as meeting in person.

Then I had a flash of inspiration: creative writing workshops!

A series of themed, stand-alone workshops, open to non-members and members alike, offers opportunities to link up with other local writers, including people who want to get back to creative writing, and those with more experience.

As a trial run, I’ve arranged three Sunday afternoon workshops, which will be held at our home in Ryde. The content will be suitable for writers of any genre, and will include :

LIGHT & DARK: Sunday 16 OCT, 3pm to 5.30pm, £7.50

CHRISTMAS: Sunday 20 NOV, 3pm to 5.30pm, £7.50

TIME: Sunday 15 JAN, 3pm to 5.30pm, £7.50

We’ve had several enquiries about writing memoirs/autobiography, so next year, I will be leading a series of three Wednesday afternoon sessions in Ryde:

MEMOIR-WRITING: Wednesday 8, 15 and 22 FEB, 3pm to 5.30pm, £22.50 (for 3 sessions)

All of these will have limited spaces, so book your place now to avoid disappointment!

So, we are marooned here – on our sunny little island, floating like an emerald on a sparkling sea. The Isle of Wight has become our creative writing topic for the next fourteen days, and each of us needs to produce a contribution for our first book.

But what to write?

The Island has nine towns: Ryde, Brading, Newport, Cowes, East Cowes, Yarmouth, Ventnor, Sandown and Shanklin. Then there are villages, such as Freshwater, Newchurch, Arreton, Shalfleet, St Helens or Bembridge. Any of these could be the setting for a short story – preferably one which could happen nowhere else – or the inspiration for a poem. Or why not write a short non-fiction piece about the history of your chosen place?

Then there are the many tourist attractions to be found here, which could be the source of a piece of humorous writing set in the modern day, or a nostalgic childhood memoir: Blackgang Chine, Robin Hill, Monkey Haven, the Steam Railway, the model village at Godshill or the alpaca farm in West Wight.

The Island is stuffed with historical landmarks which may stir you to create some great writing. As well as some wonderful old churches and charming manor houses, we have intriguing historic places such as Osborne House, St Catherine’s Lighthouse, Carisbrooke Castle, Brading Roman Villa, Quarr Abbey, Fort Victoria, Appley Tower or the Pepperpot – oops! I mean, St Catherine’s Oratory. If you haven’t been anywhere lately, why not plan a visit in the next couple of weeks? Seeing the place in winter could give a new perspective to your creative writing. Think about what these buildings meant to the people who built them and lived there in the past, or their significance to the Islanders and tourists who visit today. Perhaps focusing on one particular part of the building, such as a beautiful window, elegant fireplace or time-battered turret, will catch your imagination and spark a story.

Of course, we have many Island events which could give you a setting for your plot – the Garlic Festival, Sandown Carnival, Wolverton Manor Garden Fair, Mardi Gras, the Round the Island Race, the Island Highland Gathering or Walk the Wight.

With parts of the Island designated as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, enjoyment of the natural world could be the theme of your piece. One of those hidden beaches the grockles never find, country walks at Bonchurch or Whippingham, the Lavender Farm, fossil-hunting trips in West Wight, riding the chair-lift at Alum Bay, sailing at Cowes or bird-watching at the nature reserve – it’s all good, as long as it’s specifically happening here. Or maybe you could create a poem about the Island at night, with ferries sliding silently over the Solent like vast, illuminated wedding-cakes, and the lights of Portsmouth glittering across the water, so close, yet far away.

And of course, you may have something to say about the Isle of Wight as a whole, or the experience of living on an island – a contrast with mainland life, the ferry journey (don’t forget to set your watch back to 1975), Island dialect, or a feeling of detachment from everyday life, family and friends on the mainland. Whatever you choose, you should find our multi-faceted isle a rich source of ideas.

The next Island Writers meeting is 3 December at Ryde Library – so get writing!

As writers, no doubt we’re all familiar with the over-quoted saying, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” Whether this was really said by St Augustine or not (and there are those who have doubts), there is a lot of truth in the phrase. The world is filled with adventures completely outside the scope of the Six Wonders of the Isle of Wight.

We’ve all seen photos of Ayers Rock, the Great Pyramid, the Grand Canyon and the Parthenon, but it’s only by visiting them that we can really comprehend what they are like. It isn’t just their size and magnificence, but the whole experience.

Until we’ve heard the thunder of Niagara Falls for ourselves, stumbled through dusty Jerusalem alleyways to the Dome of the Rock or gazed down on the rooftops of Paris from the Eiffel Tower, we can’t hope to write about those places convincingly. But, more than that, inevitably, our creative writing will be enriched by those experiences, even when writing on topics closer to home.

The fourteenth-century Moroccan explorer, Ibn Battuta, had this to say of travelling: “It leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.”

A few weeks ago, Yvie waved goodbye to Island Writers and flew off to live in Dubai for the next two years. She’ll be sharing her exploits on her new blog, Delving Into Dubai.

Perhaps she could start at the vast Ibn Battuta shopping mall, containing nearly 300 shops, as well as stunning hand-painted ceilings. Now there’s an experience you probably won’t get in Union Street…

For the rest of us, back here on the Island, that doesn’t mean we won’t have any experiences to write about – far from it! Our new group project is a chance to explore the many beauties of our beloved little isle – including, let’s hope, some of the special places which grockles never find.

In the leisurely days of Victorian novels, long-winded, rambling stories and essays weren’t a problem – they were an advantage, as the evenings weren’t exactly crammed with exciting entertainment.

These days, with the fast-forward button readily at hand to deal with boring TV programmes, readers are more impatient. Come on! We’ve got things to do, places to go, people to see. Cut to the chase! We want the body on page 1, not half-way through the book.

This change in consumer preferences is perhaps the reason that Twitter is so popular.You’ve probably seen the letters TL;DR used on social media, to stand for ‘Too long; didn’t read.’ In the digital age, even a lengthy answer to a question can lose many readers’ interest. Even short stories are getting shorter – we’re not prepared to flounder through pages of waffle just to reach the thrilling part.

But maybe that’s a good thing.

As well as gripping readers’ attention, shorter forms of writing can be more effective. To reach the word count, less important information (a.k.a. ‘the boring bits’) must be omitted, wordy descriptions are truncated and weak phrases such as very frightened or really old are shortened to stronger versions such as terrified and ancient.

Anmarie Bowler is a local writer who says she appreciates the power of short form prose and believes everyone’s a writer at some point in life. She’s launching a new bi-monthly “literary handbill” called Brevity, which will publish short stories & essays (500 words or under) and brief poems by Isle of Wight residents – and she’s looking for contributions from you!

‘Brevity is the soul of wit,’ according to Shakespeare. Let’s see if Brevity can prove that bite-size writing has more teeth.

Our next meeting is Tuesday, 16th April – the assignment topic is True Friendship… but your writing must also include something blue!

We gathered at Yvie’s home last night, to discuss The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. This gorgeous-looking little book ‘reveals’ the age-old Law of Attraction – that you can bring good and bad things into your life, simply by imagining that they’re already there.

Most of us had tried the Law of Attraction for ourselves, some with surprising success. If you feel like trying a simple experiment, the accompanying website offers a Bank of the Universe cheque to print out, which is supposed to bring a set amount of money to you – hey, it’s got to be worth a try!

There are so many things to consider when planning a book club – timing, venue, refreshments, book selection, what questions to ask when leading the discussion, and, most importantly, what snacks to give Yvie’s friendly dog, Fudge.

Words, Wit, Wisdom and Wine isn’t connected with or organised by Island Writers, but I thought you’d be interested.

I’m hoping to meet some of Yvie’s other friends there next time, when our book choice is Friend Request by Laura Marshall: a psychological thriller based on social media. I suggested it, so it’s all my fault if you don’t like it!

Remember Dippy the penguin from Flamingo Park, Isle of Wight?

Island Writers member Lucy Murray is writing about him on her blog today – take a look!

The Dippy Zookeeper

OK, maybe I panicked.

Yesterday was the first meeting of Island Writers at Ryde Library.

And when I decided to form a new writers’ group, I had a severe lack of… well… writers.

We’d only moved to the Isle of Wight in January, and with various family crises to deal with, I had hardly left the house. I knew a couple of my Mum’s friends, and four people who lived in Freshwater and weren’t into writing. Great.

So I had this vision of myself marooned in a deserted library, surrounded by nothing but books, while Island Writers sank on its maiden voyage.  Frantically, I distributed leaflets, swamped the internet with listings, contacted other writing groups and everyone I knew. If I could just find a few people to start with…

I had hoped for a friendly crew of different types of people – and my wish was granted!

Ten of you turned up for our first meeting, we all had a terrific evening with a lot of laughs… and nine of you have already joined as members!

So Island Writers is launched and ready to sail on our voyage of discovery, and not a rock in sight, except the Needles.

If you couldn’t make it yesterday, there’s still space for a few more on board. No need to book – just turn up at Ryde Library at 7pm.

See you all at our next session on Tuesday 20 November. Don’t forget your assignment: a piece of writing starting with, “Just before nine o’clock…”

Are you ready to join Island Writers and see how far your writing can develop?

It could be an intriguing journey. Let’s explore together.

See you all tonight, 7pm-9pm, at Ryde Library.

Are you getting enough creative writing done?

Is your writing or poetry already up to the best standard you could ever hope to reach?

Does anyone read your work, or care what you write?

Or do you need the support of a group of writer friends on the Isle of Wight, with a chance to develop your creative imagination with enjoyable writing activities and share feedback on current projects?

ISLAND WRITERS is a new creative writing group, starting on Tuesday 6th November 2018 at Ryde Library, 7pm to 9pm.

Get inspired to improve your writing!

Find out more here.