Lennon’s Corsets

Lennon’s Corsets – Blog 103 – by Ms Paige Turner

Just as the new 2015 approaches I had two lovely emails. The first was from Dinah Latham who has just published her autobiography about her experiences as a district nurse and midwife in ‘Walking Forward, Looking Back’ with Troubador. Just before Christmas she did a book signing at Waterstones selling three times more than their average. She is into re-print. Dinah started writing her book a number of years ago at Creative Ink. Writing as one given to self-promotion (I run a one woman business) I was touched to read when I Googled my name – and yes – any modern woman is apt to do this, let’s fess up – Dinah’s acknowledgment of my contribution to her writing journey.
And then Jo Neville emailed me last night. She came to ‘Get that Book out of You’ classes in 2009-10. The book is still bubbling inside of her but she’s started a career in freelance journalism. This week’s ‘You’ magazine/ Mail on Sunday has her beautifully written feature entitled ‘Cache in the Attic’.
This bi-month’s point is this. When John Lennon asks you what you have done this year, if it doesn’t seem to amount to much then think of corsets. They are such a strong foundation and the work you put in now can shape up beautifully in future years, just as it has done for Dinah and Jo. I am also reminded by Lennon’s words, ‘Life is something which happens whilst you’re planning something else’. Actually I think someone else said that first (a poem critique for the first in with the right answer). I was touched that Jo emailed me to thank me for some great teaching. I’ve spent my life performing and writing and forget that I’ve done a considerable amount of teaching.
Novel writing is not the only fruit. Creative Ink Tuesday classes are full this term. There are three places left on the Thursday ‘Get that Book out of You’ course starting Thursday 15th January for five weeks. You can write a novel, but re-creative non-fiction, plays, poetry and journalism count too.
Happy New 2015.