Collaborative Writing Party II - Sunday 20th March - 3pm - 8pm

And her name was Revolution: an open letter to society and government...

Taking place this Sunday at the really beautiful, Really Free School, which is currently holding class at the Hand & Racquet, 48 Whitcomb Street, London, WC2H 7HA

All writers have twenty minutes to type some words - whether they take the form of a short story, a poem, a letter or just a splurge - directed at the dilema we find ourselves in. All of the pieces will take this quote as their inspiration:

"Hope has two beautiful daughters: their names are anger and courage. Anger at the way things are, courage to make them they way they ought to be..." St. Augustine.

At the end we'll collect the lot together, tie a ribbon around it, post it off to Mr. D. Cameron, 10 Downing Street, London, and await his response...

Email writersrooms@gmail.com to book a 20minute slot on the schedule and get your point across...

That Thing by Those Kids: a Process...

We came, we saw, we clicked and we clacked. This is the result of Writers' Room II - over 8 hours of collaboration between more than 24 writers, which took place at the Really Free School on Sunday 27th February.

Eventually it ran to 11 pages, spewed out for the Valentine and sellotaped to the bar, and we went way beyond our scheduled 8pm finish time, ending (sort of) after 10pm. The main themes seem to be cheesecake, mischief and rampant creativity.

The finished article can be seen here in it's original format, and here as a fully transcribed word document.

As well as writing, Simon captured the whole thing beautifully on his Nikon, and also recorded the sing song sonics of the qwerty keys clacking home. Some beautiful pictures and sounds here.

Writers’ Room II - Sunday 27th 12-8pm

Taking place at the latest incarnation of the Really Free School, (The Black Horse, 6 Rathbone Place), we're proud to present a collaborative writing party...

Nb. If you'd like to book a twenty minute slot on the schedule, contact writersrooms@gmail.com to check availability.

Here’s the deal:

We’re writing a collaborative piece. Each writer has twenty minutes of an eight hour total time slot. You’re allowed to see what has been before and you’re certainly allowed to imagine what might come next.

It is being typewritten (for a greater connection to the words: key, arm, letter, life) but at the end it will all be lashed together, in a very loose electronic editing process.

Here are some guidelines:

Let go of your ego. By its very nature, what is written will never be nominated for any prizes. The process is the prize.

‘Artists are composed of vanity, indolence and self-regard. Work blocks are caused by the swelling up of the ego of one or all of these fronts. Tell your ego to go to hell and not make a misery of what should essentially be fun, joy...’

Own your section entirely and absolutely; but be aware that it is a part of something larger. Respect all who are connected to your section, both before and after; you owe it to them to do this with joy in your heart.

You’ve only got twenty short minutes. Time stands watch, willing you not to waste it - don’t.

The Valentine has been chosen to deny dithering; there is no backspace on the wheel of life. And, heck, who knows, maybe some of her beauty will rub off on our writings.

Fuck beginnings, middles and ends; we end when time is up or there is no-one left to write. We do not wish denigrate structure per se, but today it has no place...

Lighting out after inspiration...

'Don't loaf and invite inspiration: light out after it with a club...'
Jack London


 

Image: Cold and empty now, we'll fill it with warmth and words...

(borrowed under creative commons licence from the kindly people at RFS)

The Writers' Room provides a space to be inspired. It can be hard to make the words come, sat behind a desk: the weight of expectation is just too great. So let this beautiful Bloomsbury mansion house help you beat the block.

Bring laptops, notebooks, pens and paper, and put some words down on them. The musicians have their studios: the click clack of qwerty keys shall be our jam

Talking of talks: the speakers' schedule...

Wednesday 9th February

8pm - 8.40pm 'Rhyme: the riddle of the mind' - Mr. Gee, spoken wordist and former poet laureate of the former Russell Brand Show, talks about the universality of rhyme, and the links between rhyme and rhythm. He'll probably do a poem or two as well.

Thursday 10th February

7pm – 7.40pm ‘How to have a beautiful blog’ - Ms. Marmite Lover is the guerrilla restaurateur behind the Underground Restaurant, one of the Evening Standards’ 1000 most influential Londoners and writer of the widely read ‘the English Can Cook’ blog (not to mention anarchist and former squatter). She’s here to tell you how to write a blog that people actually read.

8pm - 8.40pm  'Independence' - Tariq Goddard, author, publisher and founder of zer0 books speaks and takes questions on creative writing and independent publishing. Whitbread prize nominee for his first novel, Homage to a Firing Squad, Tariq is also open to book proposals from serious potential authors.

(Check out zer0's manifesto.)

Things to do in the Writers' Room

Talking the talks

In the spirit of sharing, a series of talks from various authors, journalists and bloggers will pass on their knowledge. Don't be selfish with it, now...


Copy Shop

Borrow a book from our lovers library, or bring your favourite tome, and feel the writers' words coming through your fingers. No better way to learn about rhythm, assonance, style and grammar than by letting go of your ego and taking a free lesson from literature's masters.

(Inspired by Jose Luis Borges, Italo Clavino and Hunter S. Thompson)

The Lovers' Library

We’re encouraging everyone who visits the Writers' Rooms to bring with them an old book that they have loved and learnt from. Property is theft (it steals from your soul) and by giving away your old books, and giving the gift of inspiration to others, we aim to prove that you should never judge a book by its cover but by the content of its characters.

At the end of Rooms', we will ceremonially burn the lot just to prove the point once and for all. Either that or donate them to the most edifying educationalist charity on the block, ‘Choose What You Read’. Definitely one of the two, though (probably that last one, actually).


Be My Valentine

Ettore Sottsass’ sublime 1969 Olivetti Valentine will be on hand and waiting for your words. This machine was designed with love in mind and as your fingers caress her keys we feel you’ll fall all the more deeply for that which has been written. Everything you create together will then be displayed for all to see; for true love is a proud love…