Megan Rogers – Writing Workshops Hastings Library
by Jacky Howgate
They say that ‘time flies when you’re having fun’; this was so true in the recent workshops hosted by Hastings Library and led by local author Megan Rogers.
Workshop number one was for novice, curious and interested writers who may, or may not, have been published previously.
Megan welcomed us warmly and there was an opportunity to share our individual writing goals. Her background as a teacher of Creative Writing was apparent immediately as she engaged, informed and educated us, all with an encouraging and open manner.
She introduced us to some of her favourite ‘activation’ exercises and like good students we bowed our heads and started scribbling furiously about our favourite films, books, songs. This led on to circling some of the key words and patterns that had emerged as a way to identify what was important to us; she shared her view that we need to write about what inspires us.
There was barely time for her to introduce us to some recommended reading and a worksheet for ‘homework’ before the hour was up. It was a wonderful appetizer for workshop number two.
One week later and we launched into ‘problem solving’; Megan urged us to see that writing is and working out what needs to be ‘fixed’ in our writing. Rather than just leave us to fumble our way through, Megan highlighted the main points in the excellent worksheet she shared with us and she encouraged us to take it home and work on it as a way to motivate ourselves and add a layer of accountability.
There was time for questions and Megan generously shared her knowledge of her writing process, publishing, and agent-seeking. She left us with an invitation to ‘think outside the box’; if something isn’t working, shift it, try a new setting, an additional character, a new perspective.
There were so many gems, and we could have spent hours absorbing Megan’s writing wisdom. I contented myself with curling up at home with ‘The Heart is a Star’, signed by the author. At first I read it as a reader and was totally captivated. I then realised that it was a masterclass in how to write and I started scribbling notes in the margins.
We’re so fortunate to have authors of Megan’s calibre who are generous and giving and who seem to genuinely want everyone to share their love of reading and writing. I left both workshops inspired, a little daunted but also with an excitement about my writing.
