News

Our Midlothian Men’s Group students recently published a collection of flash and micro fiction (link below). Here we speak to Creative Writing tutor, Helen Evans, about the group, her involvement with it and her tips for getting started writing…

How did you get involved with the group?
I first met the Midlothian Men’s Group in early 2022. I was newly retired from teaching but still tutoring and had a passion for creative writing. A friend suggested that I contact Access to Industry… Two years, one exhibition and two booklets later a group of men who thought it was not for them proved that not only can they write but they can use the skills to succeed in a range of other careers.

What would you say to anyone who thinks creative writing isn’t for them?
People all have stories to tell, whether we write it down or not. Stories fill our every waking minute from news, podcasts, blogs, Netflix, song lyrics… So if you think it isn’t for you ask yourself why is your story less interesting? The power is in the method of telling and that is creative writing.

How important is it to have a creative outlet?
Very important. Creativity can aid both mental and physical health. It allows an individual to express themselves and often be heard in a very busy world. Creativity is also both a way of releasing your thoughts and feelings and also containing them in a way that others can relate to.

The new booklet is filled with inspiring micro-fiction – why that form?
We initially completed a collection of poetry. Micro fiction was then chosen as a new challenge. It’s not easy to be effective with fewer words. Flash fiction is also not necessarily quick fiction but deliberately limited. Like life it comes with boundaries and we wanted to see what we could achieve.

What tips do you have for anyone who’d like to give creative writing a try?
Please just write. Anything. It can also help to join a group where you will be supported and encourage each other. Some came to the group believing it was not for them and left as writers. Everyone is a storyteller. You just have to begin.

Read Flash Point – a collection of flash and micro fiction by the Midlothian Men’s Group – here.