Next month sees the first meet up for a new life writing group – where the focus will be on your own lives for inspiration.

Whether you were a midwife, an omnibus driver, a sugar girl or just a happy camper, don’t be shy – go along and unpick the story you want to tell. You’ll get a taste of the range of practical approaches to writing from your own experience – without being limited by genre, form, or your level of experience as a writer.

Experienced writer, Melanie Benn, will lead you through discussion and thoughtful writing exercises, aimed at encouraging you to think about the wider possibilities of writing from personal experience while developing a strong authorial voice. You’ll have the chance to think about the personal implications of choosing and editing personal material and the possible challenges that may bring. Whether you’re new to life writing or currently working on a project, it will be your time to develop, discuss and consider your work in a supportive and constructive environment.

Venue: The Clout Institute, 9 High Street, West Malling, ME19 6QH. Date: Sunday 1st March at 2pm. Cost: £5.00 contribution.

Melanie is a graduate from the University of Winchester, with a Creative Writing MA in which she specialised in writing for children. She has gone on to write fiction for adults as well – including short stories for anthologies, storytelling events, radio plays and community projects. Melanie has also studied psychosynthesis as well as drama, and kept a journal for a number of years. She believes that writing is both a form of self expression but also a pathway to self discovery. As we write directly from our own experience we have a chance to gain a compassionate understanding of our personal stories along with some of the characters within them.