What on earth could this be? A Writers Lock In, is it what happens when writers write the wrong thing and are ‘dealt with’ by incarceration? Is it when writers are shut away in the attic until they get something written?
Well, both of those options could be what a Writers Lock In, is, but the Writers Lock In I am going to be involved with tomorrow, will be far more pleasant than those. My writing group, Adelaide Plains Chapter and Verse, has held these events for group members several times in the past, and when the idea was mentioned at a recent group meeting, we decided we would make use of the public holiday, ANZAC Day, when our usual venue will be opening earlier than usual, and we could go there all day to write.
So, that’s what we are doing on the 25th of April, from as early as we can get there, until our usual meeting time (4pm-6pm). We will be metaphorically locked in the hotel, where there is food, and drinks of many kinds, and there is a small room, somewhat apart from the usual hotel business.
(this is the venue for our writing group meetings, & the lock in, the Prince Albert Hotel, in Gawler)
I am excited about the possibilities, other group members are too, and we will welcome anyone else who wants to join in the fun (oops, serious writing). I’m going to work on typing up, and inserting various pre-written bits of writing into my main novel-in-progress, “Talloola Travails”. I have many small bits of writing that belong to this novel-in-writing, because I have been using group writing prompts for this work.
(this is Mallala, my closest town, which is the town my novel is set in. I’ve changed the name and some details, to fit the novel)
The idea of being with other writers, people who understand what it’s like when the words won’t come, and are sympathetic, or when the words pour forth and are thrilled for you, this can be so wonderful! Family and non-writing friends won’t understand how you are feeling, not really, no matter how hard they try, but your writing friends will understand, because been in the some position in the past.
I’m going to take along my laptop, my mobile phone, and all of my notebooks where snippets of my work have been written, and are hiding. This will be fun, or frustrating, but I know it will be worthwhile, as long as I can get the internet working on my laptop!
And if I can’t do that, well, I’ll have plenty of coffee and desserts available to soothe my woes!
Would you like to be at a writers lock in, or have you been to one with noteworthy results? I’d love to hear about it, why not leave a comment to tell about it all!
Carolyn Cordon - Creative 