We are always delighted when guests on our Watermill courses go on to blossom creatively, helped by what they have learned from our inspiring tutors during their time with us.
So it was great to have feedback from Sue Reed, who was with us for Jo Parfitt‘s last Writing Your Life Stories course*. She told us at the time: “Jo has been an inspirational teacher I am heading home with a head full of writerly plans.†And the inspirational Salami Boys helped too.
Now we’ve heard more from Sue about how those ‘writerly plans’ are coming to fruition.
She tells us: “I’m busy writing for literary magazines, largely around nature and rural life, and will shortly be having a piece in Heritage Tractor Magazine of all things! Working away at my novel, The Rewilding of Molly McFlynn and have an excellent mentor to help me with this. Hoping to have it ready to pitch to agents by the middle of 2022.â€
I love the sound of The Rewilding of Molly McFlynn and can’t wait to hear more (not that I have anything against Heritage Tractor Magazine.)
But back to the Salami Boys. Sue bumped into them during her writing week, on market day in the main piazza in the nearby walled mediaeval town of Fivizzano. I’ll let her take up the story: “Over on the far side of the square, I found the ‘Salumi della Tana’ stall, run by what appeared to be three brothers. Maybe they weren’t brothers at all, but I liked to think they were, and feel it adds something to my story.
“What is it about Italian men that makes them so darn good looking? As I write this, I realise I didn’t take any photos of the guys in question. I was far too shy for that! You will have to rely on my description and story to build up a picture in your own mind’s eye.
“The three brothers were stood behind the counter of their smart trailer in ascending ages, from the shy, skinny youngster, to the more confident tanned and muscular older brothers. I do doubt their blood relationship to each other as one had deep dark brown eyes, and the other, eyes of piercing blue. Tight t-shirts and tight jeans added to the allure, and smiles that twinkled and made this old lady quite flustered!
“Salamis of varying widths and lengths hung from the ceiling of the van. Whilst on the counter, cheeses, hard skinned and soft, full moons and half-moons, some with Tom and Jerry like holes, mature and ripe were tempting my taste buds. Cured meats, and a sign advertising the bresaola which was on offer, sent me scurrying for my phone to look up the Italian I needed. I was not going to speak English, that was one thing I was sure of!â€
Want to know what happens next? Of course you do. But you’ll have to go to the article on her website, Sue Reed Writes by clicking here.
To learn more about Sue and her aspiring literary career please click here.
Thank you for keeping in touch, Sue, and please let us know how your writerly journey progresses.
*Jo Parfitt’s courses, for which we have had fantastic feedback, not only give participants insights into techniques to improve their writing, not just for blogs and memoirs, but for all genres. They are designed to help people reduce their best work, find their true ‘voice’ and to write authentically, Jo will be back from Saturday 8 June to Saturday, 15 June 2022.
At present this course is fully booked, but there are often cancellations and if you like to be placed on the waiting list, please click on the link below and send us your Booking Enquiry form.
Jo Parfitt
18-25 June 2022Â
Watercolours
To learn more about Jo and her course at the mill, please visit her 2022 Profile Page.
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