On Tuesday I did (performed? maestroed?) a Narrative Workshop for the Digital Animation course at Falmouth Art College, which went well I think, in that at least no-one shouted 'You are clearly making this up!' at any point. A big part of the workshop was getting the students to look at the various rules different genres have, make up a character and story in that genre, then smash a completely different genre into it at high speed and see what happens. I pretended they had to do this in the name of getting them to realize they already know a lot more about the conventions of different types of story than they think they do, but really because I thought it might be a laugh.
My great hope, for a Godzilla Detective movie, sadly failed to transpire, but the Post-Apocalyptic Kids Fantasy came out well, as did the Jane Austen B-Movie. I think there was also a Post-Apocalyptic Musical in there as well (can you tell everyone's favourite genre at the moment?) but I may have imagined it.
Afterwards, some of the students were kind enough to ask me questions (I think the course leader bribed them to look interested).
STUDENT: So do you have, you know, ever, a writer's blog?
ME: Well, yes, I've gone one called jamesandthebluecat actually, and I think it's useful to have a blog if you're doing any kind of creative endeavour, because, you know, like minds linking up, power of collaboration etc etc...
I continue in this vein for MANY HOURS until eventually I notice the student has developed a slight rictus grin, his eyes desperately darting from side to side as he attempts to telepathically summon over another human being to stem the ENDLESS TIDE OF WISDOM.
Slight pause.
ME: You actually asked if I ever have writer's block didn't you?
STUDENT: Yes.
ME: No I don't.
9 comments:
You should have just left them with the rather sweet idea that you give your writer's block a name.
Mine's called Monty.
Woe! The Blue Cat is upon me! Like the Black Dog, but not quite so serious.
I have a friend who calls his depression 'Dave'. This is, i feel, personalising it a bit much.
To be fair, this was before he met me.
I used to have an imaginary friend who was a vampire called Vlad who only lived in toilets. He would follow me around through the sewers wherever I went.
*pinks*
O c'mon. Did he ever really say 'Woe! The Black Dog is upon me!'?
Surely it would have been something more along the lines of 'Gish anoth' drink, luv. And *hic* make it a double.'
Are we still talking about Vlad?
I think we're all going to be talking about Vlad FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
"like minds linking up....."
slinks off into the undergrowth
I'm with Tim on this one - you just have a nice name for your writer's block!
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