One of my closest friends rang me last night for a quick exchange of news. We talk frequently so there was nothing unusual about the phone call, but it lifted my spirits in the way that it always does when I talk to her. Our friends play such an important role in our lives, something that I am even more conscious of, now that I live so far away from them all. I do not know how I would have made the move without the benefits of modern technology. Leaving Shetland, and indeed, leaving anywhere I have ever lived (England, Wales and Scotland) was less painful because of the ability to keep in touch via phone, email and Facebook. None of these methods are quite as good as seeing people in person, but it suffices until the next time we can meet.
As a writer I am always conscious of how my friends regard my work. I ought to be writing with a view to what a publisher might think of it, but I don’t think like that. My friends, and people like them, are my target audience. I write to entertain and amuse them and it has always been that way.
I first started telling stories to the girls I shared a dormitory with at boarding school. I loved to talk and I had a brilliant memory for stories I had read, and the ability to make up my own far-fetched tales of adventure and romance. The story telling bug has stayed with me and now I am trying to develop it further, thanks to University College Falmouth. But even as I am working hard on my essays to pass my MA, I am still conscious of what my friends think about what I write.
Although everything I write is fiction, there are obvious elements of real life experience in the writing, and to a certain extent, all the characters that inhabit my stories are a coalition of real people. Therefore, I am conscious that friends might recognise themselves, or worse, think they recognise themselves in a way that was not intentional. They also know aspects of my personal life that might lead them to believe that the villain of my first novel is one of my exes, despite my protestations otherwise.
I love the feedback I get from my friends, even though I know none of them are cruel enough to deal out the painfully honest criticism my writing needs. It is for this reason I embarked upon the many creative writing courses I have completed and joined a local writers’ group. The Maynooth Writers’ Group meets every 3-4 weeks in the fabulous Carton House Hotel. The venue is commonly used for celebrity weddings and international golf tournaments. In this grandeur it is lovely to meet up and discuss the writing projects of all the members. I am not yet in a position to call any of the members “friends” yet, therefore, what I get instead is unbiased and very useful criticism. I would thoroughly recommend joining a writers group if you want to talk about your writing. Save your friends for the real joy they bring to your life.
In the meantime my fridge is nicely stocked up with Pinot Grigio, waiting to be shared with my friends able to join me in Ireland. Now taking bookings for September!
With love to all my friends xxxxx
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