BRIGHTER

Ignite

Note: The tasks appear on this site in written form and as audio clips. You can listen along by clicking the play button underneath each title.

Click the play button to listen to mandla talk about how they approach their writing...

Where you write

You're done!

Photo: Two pages open from Outbox's playtext, And The Rest of Me Floats (Oberon Books, 2019)

Journey

Spark

We’ve shared some pieces written by our BRIGHTER team (Barry, Mandla and Mika) along with selected pieces from Outbox’s latest production, And the Rest of Me Floats, you can access them here.

Read one of the pieces in our pack and discuss with the group.

Spend 2 mins writing in response.

Now share a piece of work with your group that inspires you (book, poem, image, YouTube video...)

Why does this piece speak to you?
What themes can you draw from it to inspire your writing?
Write down any thoughts you have after each sharing.

Photos: Selected pages graphic novels from left to right: Barker, Meg-John & Scheele, Jules, Gender: A Graphic Guide (2019); Summers, A.K., Nine Long Months Spent in Drag (2014)

Get inspired by other LGBTQIA+ writers and artists.
Have a look at our resource section if you need some inspiration.

Click here to go to Section 2

Image: Mika's mind map. The words Brighter, Queer, Horizon in the middle. In the four corners around are other words including Mind, Love, Space, Body.

Getting your initial ideas and responses down on paper is really helpful. Allow yourself to spring from one idea to another without judgement and see what comes up in your mind map.

OK, let's begin...

Find a partner and describe your journey while they write down the keywords from your story as they listen (set a time limit e.g. 2 mins).

Think of keywords as the highlights that stick out e.g. sunlight, shower, cornflakes, cold air…

Now swap and listen to your partner's journey while you write down a list of keywords. At the end read out both journey lists and discuss.

What is enjoyable in listening to a story?
What details did you remember?
Is this list a piece of writing in its own right? - a poem, the beginning of a scene...

A provocation is a statement or question that can help to generate ideas around your themes. Think of it as a diving board into something new.

Feel free to use some of the provocations we’ve suggested.

I feel bright when I...
My queer joy is rooted in...
Being part of this community feels...
Self love looks like...
I write these words to tell you…
I remember a time when... and I can imagine…

Now, create a provocation of your own inspired by your themes (e.g. mind, body, love, space) and use it as a starting point to free write for 2 mins without stopping.

Look back at what you’ve written. Underline what speaks to you. Is this the beginning of a poem, speech, manifesto, chapter?

Provocations

Mapping

Grab a piece of paper, write ‘BRIGHTER’ and ‘QUEER’ and ‘HORIZON’ in the middle.

Think about what a brighter future looks like to you, what hopes are on your horizon, what words/feelings/images come to mind?

Mind map for 5 minutes and allow your ideas to bounce from one to the other in a free way.

Now look over your map.
What words/images/themes excite you?

Choose one and discuss with the group.

In this section there are some tips and tasks to spark your imagination and help you begin writing.

At this stage you don’t need to pin things down or answer everything or even know what it is you are writing, allow yourself to be free.

Section 1:

Ignite

Photo: mandla's desk with two plants, a record player, laptop, print of the sea in a black frame, notebooks, pen and an olive green wall in the background.

It can be difficult to know where to start but remember we tell stories all the time. There's no set way and the 'everyday' can be just as interesting as the fantastical.

Think of a journey you make quite often.

Something you know very well. Your trip to school, to work, to see a friend. Your journey from your bed to the kitchen table.

Think about all the details along the way - the colours, the textures, the sounds, the feelings.

Where you write is a good place to start - is it a desk, your favourite chair, a corner of a park? Perhaps you have journal that you carry with you. A special space that goes wherever you go.

Think about somewhere you like to write and if you're in a group, chat to someone else about their favourite place.

Choose a journal that you like the pages of and your favourite type of pen. Keep them near you at all times.