So, I get it, noir is not everyone’s cup of tea, and yet, regardless of the genre, there is so much to be gleaned from the coming together of a community of readers and writers.
Between the 11th and 14th of June this year, an event bearing the title Shetland Noir was held in the Shetland Arts Centre, Mareel. It was wonderful and was attended by over twenty writers from all over the world. This was a case of pens from around the world.
One message that was delivered by several of the speakers, who were all published authors, was that to be a successful writer, one must also be an avid reader.
There were a couple of famous headliners, Lee Child and Ann Cleeves, but strangely, they didn’t leave the most lasting memories. With Lee Child, one couldn’t help but feel that here was a man who had acquired a mountain of proverbial tee shirts by trotting out well-rehearsed answers to the questions he had been asked an infinite number of times previously. However, he expressed his opinion that one should write what one feels and not necessarily what one knows.
Ann Cleeves is a co-organiser of the festival and was keen to describe how she owes a debt of gratitude to the islands because her novels set in Shetland led to her elevation to becoming a household name.
That said, the real inspiration from the perspective of providing encouragement to aspiring writers was being able to meet and mingle with the less well-known writers who still have day jobs. Not every message was positive. For example, even though some had had books published, it did not guarantee that their future work would be accepted. However, it was how they freely shared their individual journeys, including the pitfalls, that left lasting impressions.
There was something for everyone. For the avid crime fiction reader, there was the chance to discover new authors and to obtain signed copies of their books. For writers, there were workshops which included historical research, advice on how to develop true to life characters by providing them with the kinds of flaws we all live with, and advice on marketing. The thing about each of the workshops was that the information given could be adapted to every genre and not just noir.
I reached Sunday evening with a mountain of books to read, mentally exhausted and yet more determined than ever to continue writing. If you have pondered the value of attending a book festival, I can only say that from my personal perspective, it has been an amazing experience and one I would thoroughly recommend.
Since the object of this blog is to provide a writing prompt, I would simply say this. Head out to your nearest book festival and soak up all that it has to offer. I can guarantee that you will come away with fresh ideas and a desire to get writing.
If you enjoyed this post you may also be interested in Kimberly’s post, NYC – A Fine Place for a Writers’ Conference. Or perhaps John’s post, Catherine Pettersson and the Stockholm Writers’ Festival.
