Mary Farrell is available to run regular Zoom Creative Writing Courses, open worldwide. She can also, on Zoom, visit established Groups as a guest presenter/facilitator to lead single stand-alone sessions, or share advice on setting up/running a Group.
For the Individual Writer:-
- A weekly Zoom Course for up to ten people – 3 x eight-week terms annually (not over the summer)
(Most likely a Tuesday evening 7.00-9.00pm GMT to accommodate different time zones)
Her manual on Creative Writing, Springboards, published in November 2022 by Impspired, outlines the exercises and techniques she uses.
For Groups Members/ Groups
On Zoom:
- Mary is able to attend established Groups worldwide as a guest presenter/facilitator to lead a single stand-alone session.
- She can visit Groups to observe and give feedback on the positives and potential areas for improvement.
- She can also talk to individuals providing advice and guidance on how to set up/run a Creative Writing Group, which will meet either face-to-face or in online sessions. There is also the potential for Mary to sit in on the first 3/5 sessions as support, providing feedback and advice after each meeting.
- Advice may be sought from Mary regarding the transition of a group from a physical meeting to online sessions.
If you are interested in any of the above, please contact her on
maryfarrell85@hotmail.com
All of the above are free.
However, donations to the Impspired Good Causes Fund are welcomed.
Springboards
~ a Creative Writing Manual for Beginners through to Facilitators ~
Pleased to meet you, and welcome on board. My name is Mary Farrell, Facilitator of North Coast Writers, a Creative Writing group based on the North Coast of Northern Ireland. Since it was formed in January 2019, this group has met weekly, both face-to face and more recently on Zoom. One of my most important roles as Facilitator has been to create stimuli which would actually, well…stimulate!
Over the last three years, my weekly offerings of prompts fell into many categories, twenty-four of which are described in the manual. Each week the stimuli I presented had to kick-start members into putting words to paper by firing imagination, stirring forgotten memories and encouraging them to wander down emotional and mental pathways they had not previously explored.
The manual is the result of the continuing process which occurs weekly in Northern Ireland. It is intended to be a ‘dip-in only’ guide, not a series of exercises to be slavishly followed. Nor is it to be seen as the ultimate educational chaperone on any subject. You may feel vital discussions points have not been covered, and I agree, there will be many instances of that. There are so many different genres of writers and writing. This is merely a collection of the ideas and pointers I have collated from my personal experience and reading. Some have been developed through the skills I learned in twenty-six years teaching. Others have generously been given to me by other facilitators and include general gleanings from a variety of courses I have attended. Cherry-pick the chapters and sections which appeal. Some may be of interest; others may be of no relevance to you or any groups you might attend or facilitate. You are not being forced to sample the whole carvery. Please just fill your plate with what tempts you. Play with anything from the toybox which I have built up for North Coast Writers over the last three years. My only request is that you enjoy yourself!
How to Approach this Manual – FAQ’s
Mary Farrell Bio
At the end of her Introduction, Pat Schneider in Writing Alone and With Others, writes:-
I intend this book as a letter from one writer to another. If you would like to write back to me I would welcome your response.
I second that! and look forward to hearing from you. My email address is below.
Go well …
and write with all the fun and joy which is in you.
impspired 