The 6-minute epiphany
One of the toughest things about writing is staying focused. If you let your words wander, you’re going to lose your reader. They’ve got better things to do than try to stay with a sloppy storyteller.
If you can’t tell a good story in less than six minutes, you’re probably sunk.
Just to demonstrate how hard that can be, 13 local writers will gather at the Staircase Theatre on Friday and Saturday evenings to do just that.
The event, organized as a fundraiser for the Hamilton YWCA’s Walk a Mile in Her Shoes campaign, is called The 6-Minute Memoir. Each writer has been asked to share a personal story of epiphany in less than six minutes.
“Six minutes is about 1,200 words — enough to get you hooked, enough to prevent you from nodding off,” says organizer Anne Bokma.
Among the participants are Miranda Hill, author of Sleeping Funny, comedian and playwright Colette Kendall, Power of the Pen winner Eva Kay and Spectator columnist Jeff Mahoney ( who also happens to be married to Bokma).
“I’m the kind of person who starts and just can’t stop,” says Mahoney about the challenges of writing to a clock.
Mahoney studied English literature at Concordia University at Montreal and journalism at Carleton University in Ottawa before joining The Spectator in 1988 and establishing himself as a columnist with a good sense of humour.
He’s working up a six-minute memoir from his childhood.
“Tentatively, I’m calling it My First Laugh,” Mahoney says. “It’s about this little thing I did when I was 10-years-old and it brought the house down.”
The shows start at 8 p.m. at the Dundurn Street venue. A cash bar will be available and music will be provided after the readings by Dan Medakovic.
Walk a Mile in Her Shoes supports transitional housing for marginalized women.