Storytellers help you find your own voice
A writing group in Dalkey has developed from encouraging budding authors to publishing their work, writes Emily Hourican
ANNA Fox, creative producer at Dalkey Creates writing festival, is an actor, voice-over artist and writer. Her Storytellers writing group came into being three years ago, when she decided to form a class of people with whom she could write — who could, together, explore and push themselves to improve and innovate. Initially, she went about it in the simplest way possible — she rang down through the contact list for parents of her daughter’s school class, and her own friends, to see if any were interested. For many of those she spoke to, writing was a long-held dream, but one they did not know how to actively pursue.
From that, Storytellers was born.
Ambitious from the start, Anna asked Ferdia MacAnna, writer and film director, to facilitate — “I had worked with him, and I found him great; really positive and encouraging” — because she understood the need to challenge and stimulate.
Now, Storytellers runs three writing groups, from September to May each year, with Christine Ryan also facilitating. At the end of each course, those involved would read their work, and gradually, Anna began to realise how much the content and quality of the writing was improving.
“It was at a whole new level,” she says, “and so I began to think — what if we do a collection of the work, in- stead of readings?” The result is a book with the working title Finding Your Voice , to be published in November.
Each of the 20-odd pieces contained within the book — some poems, some non-fiction, some short stories — will be put through a rigorous professional editing process by Robert Doran, and published by Kazoo independent publishers. Once launched, the book will be available on Amazon, as well as some independent booksellers and libraries.
“It has been about encouraging people to find their own voice, and to develop self-confidence as writers. Each piece will be very individual. It is a diverse collection, but a true reflection of the individual voices,” says Anna.
Those involved came into the process with various preconceived notions around what it takes to be published — “not least the belief that a page covered in queries and suggested changes from an editor must be a bad reflection on their writing, which of course is not the case”, says Anna — and leaves with a clear understanding of what is involved, as well as published work. “They have all had proper exposure to the editing process, but with a lovely kind of camaraderie too. Writing can be an isolated experience, but this process has been very positive, fun and supportive.”