One of the innovations in the past couple of years has been the introduction of Virtual Swanwick. This is run via Facebook; hosted by long-time Swanwicker and former Chairman, Katy Clarke; and allows regulars who, for whatever reason, are unable to be there that year, to sample at least some of the ‘Swanwick magic’. And as technology (or maybe our understanding of it) develops, the number of things that we share is growing.
This morning, Lift Up Your Pens was on the theme of vulnerability and how words can be used to demolish or defend when someone is at their most vulnerable. The session was led by the wonderful Julia Pattison. She generously wrote our task on the flip-chart, and by the wonders of the internet, this was uploaded to Facebook for VS attendees to see and have a go at.
Today’s short course of choice was Sue Moorcroft’s two-parter on The Trickier Side of Fiction. The room was packed, and therefore a little over-warm by the end, but no-one cared; such was the excellence of Sue’s presentation on aspects such as Point of View, Flashbacks, Show not Tell, and my particular favourite tip: the use of vivid verbs.
Another tradition on the Monday of Swanwick week is the fancy-dress disco. This year’s theme was Heroes and Villains, which gave rise to a wide variety of interpretations, as you would expect from a bunch of writers. Edward Scissorhands won the prize, but it was a close-run thing. Moving the disco into the Vinery gave us a smaller and more intimate space; and a great atmosphere.
