Every journey reaches its destination, and so our little creative writing course is coming to an end. Yet, somehow, it feels less like an ending than the beginning of a new adventure.
When we first gathered together, each of us brought our own experiences, our own style and our own voice. Over the months, under the thoughtful guidance of our teacher, Francesca, those voices have become richer, more confident and more distinctive. We have explored plot, pacing, objective correlative, synesthesia, symbolism, characterisation and, above all, the relationship between people and the worlds they inhabit. One of Francesca’s greatest lessons has been that an environment is never merely scenery: it breathes, influences and sometimes even becomes a character in its own right.
What has made this course so rewarding is that every writer has travelled a different path. Renzo has taken us into dangerous places where we almost held our breath, particularly in his unforgettable account of escaping from entrapment in an abyss. Mara and Rosanna who have given us poetry that invites quiet reflection have branched big way into narrative prose, while newly-joined Cecilia has transformed her experiences of difficult working environments into stories of remarkable authenticity and emotional truth.
For me, however, two people have been a constant source of delight and admiration: Maria and my wife, Sandra.
Maria has blossomed into a writer of confidence and sensitivity, producing work that grows stronger with every assignment. Sandra’s development has been equally remarkable. She has never lost the simplicity and freshness that make her writing so appealing, yet she has learned to concentrate it and enrich it with colour, symbolism and imagination. Her reimagining of the Rapunzel story, inspired by the theme of The Tower and the Abyss, was one of the highlights of the course. It was original, moving and beautifully crafted.
Perhaps the greatest compliment either of them could receive came during our final meeting. Their work attracted hardly any criticism at all. It simply stood on its own merits. Sandra’s was described by Francesca as perfect.
People sometimes ask whether the world really needs more books. I think they miss the point. Writing is not only about publishing. It is about discovering ourselves. It exercises the imagination as surely as walking strengthens the body or music nourishes the spirit. It teaches us to observe more carefully, to feel more deeply and to express what might otherwise remain unspoken.
Like every worthwhile discipline, creative writing demands patience, humility and perseverance. None of us found it easy, yet every one of us grew because of it. We accepted criticism with good humour, encouraged one another and celebrated each other’s successes. That spirit of generosity has been as valuable as anything we have learned about writing itself.
I leave this course with gratitude: gratitude to Francesca, whose insight and encouragement have inspired us all; gratitude to my fellow writers, whose friendship has made every lesson a pleasure; and, above all, gratitude for having witnessed Sandra’s extraordinary growth as a writer.
The course may have ended, but the stories are only just beginning.
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