Show not tell

Show not tell….a phrase that many new (and not so new writers) struggle to fully understand. Yet it is one of the “golden rules” that award-winning poet John Mills was able to illuminate in his workshop with City Voices - “Poetry of the place”. As the title suggests the challenge was to choose a familiar place, but then to think about the sights, sounds, smells and “textures and flavours” of the place. From this the group each composed a draft or outline of a poem. The places chosen were fascinating in themselves – a set of steps, library, car wash, childhood home, and “my dreams”. One writer described a place where he went fishing, and how that place could be internalised into a personal journey. The whole group, and it was a cracking turn-out, really involved themselves with the nuts and bolts of the workshop, but there was much laughter too (we won’t mention Debbi Voisey’s blue hair) but with John around there always is! John said that the “workshop for City Voices…..was great fun, everybody was very receptive and they all worked really hard. Thanks to everyone at City Voices for the warmth of their welcome and their great poetry.” Everyone hopes to work on their poem over the coming months and John will be welcomed back in the New Year. There was just time for a quick Q and A session, but lots of chatter and exchange of ideas had already been bounced around during the break for tea and coffee. A great afternoon. The most glittering of golden rules? “The only way to write good poetry is to read good poetry” which John illustrated by reading works by Jo Bell, Helen Mort and his award-winning poem “All in a day’s work”.