Find Your Voice: Lesson 1

I have always enjoyed writing.

The feel of the pen sliding across the paper.

The skill of forming the letters, then the words.

I enjoy doing bubble writing, dabble in Calligraphy and scribble in all different types of styles.

I can write upside down, backwards and with my left hand. 

I can type with both hands at a reasonable speed.

So, why, as I have got older, has my confidence in my writing become so low?

I was good at English, did it at GCSE and A Level. I wrote stories as a child and always thought that I would end up doing an English Degree (I didn't!)

I devour all sorts of storytelling...tv, films, music, books, magazines, comics, blogs. But when it comes to putting down my words, I struggle.

 I have lots to say. I have stories I want my nieces and nephews to remember in the future. But, how do I put  it into words?

The first step is to look at what I like. So, armed with lesson one from Find Your Voice (the free storytelling workshop by Kristin), I wrote a few notes and this is some of what I came up with.

What is Storytelling to you and what are your goals?

I have been scrapbooking for a while and always struggled with the journalling. Not from lack of stories. More the feeling that no one wants to hear them or what if I don't do them justice. I have an awful tendency to overthink things and that creates a tendency to not go with my instinct, even though 9/10 times, my instinct is pretty good. However, I have just started researching my family tree and it has really highlighted the need for me to get these stories down. 

I want the stories to be interesting, to engage and inform the reader. A little bit of whimsical is fine as long as it has some factual basis to it. It doesn't have to be long but the narrative has to keep the reader involved. A little suspense is always good. 

What are your favourite stories and which storytellers do you admire?

I read and watch pretty much anything. I love fantasy, comedy, sci-fi, historical fiction, social history, horror and the occasional lifestyle/contemporary story. 

Writing wise, the list is endless but ones that spring to mind across the whole word/visual/sound spectrum include: Philippa Gregory, Neil Gaiman, Mark Gatiss, Richard Curtis, Enid Blyton, Terry Pratchett, David Bowie, Ed Sheeran, Ray Davies, Steven Moffat, Julie Kirk, Sian Fair and Ali Edwards.

Ok, now onto Lesson 2!