{"id":659,"date":"2012-01-23T19:18:18","date_gmt":"2012-01-23T19:18:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/1078051064.test.prositehosting.co.uk\/?p=659"},"modified":"2012-01-23T19:18:18","modified_gmt":"2012-01-23T19:18:18","slug":"writing-about-nothing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.forwardpartnership.org.uk\/?p=659","title":{"rendered":"Writing about nothing!"},"content":{"rendered":"

I had the privilege of meeting a group of young people and starting the next \u2018Writers of the Future\u2019 group. How fortunate I am; being able to work with such engaging people, surrounded by books (we were in the school library). I so love what I do. I feel a bit of an imposter calling it \u2018work\u2019 though. My world today is so far removed from that of my elders. That was WORK. For example, my father used to walk for days with his donkey to different parts of Pakistan, transporting goods for businesses and, later, doing back-breaking shifts in Birmingham factories. <\/span><\/p>\n

I explained to the students my purpose in being there and then asked them what writers did. Of course they all said: \u201cwrite\u201d. This was my cue to point out that before writing comes reading. So please would they read, read and read some more. Most of them were used to using their local library. <\/span><\/p>\n

We talked about how easy it was to write once you get started; how to get inspiration (\u201cfrom life\u201d, said one) and how to get published using the internet (\u201cmake sure you are responsible in what you publish\u201d, I said).<\/span><\/p>\n

I asked them to do some writing. \u201cPerhaps, you could write about meeting me\u201d, I said. \u00a0I told them a little about myself and permission to make up the rest. They were off: <\/span><\/p>\n