Writers' Island : Chapter 4 : Icebreakers and Introductions : Part 1

13/2/20

    “Right,” said the group leader Victor. “We’re going to do an icebreaker for writers, working together in small groups of 5.” He put the gathered writers of about 20 into 4 groups of about 5. “Introduce yourselves,” said Victor, “Then we will get down to it!”

    Nick was quite happy to be placed in the same group as Hal, who he already regarded as a friend. Tracy was with them too, which was fine. She seemed very optimistic and nice, although she was obviously going to be a very different kind of writer to Nick, being a poet. Theresa, the lady with the horn rimmed black glasses and the curt manner was with them too, as they had all been sat nearby. There was one other with them, who Nick had not even noticed before, and certainly had not spoken to. He was a tall chap with a big nose and a glint in his eyes. He had a thick mop of wavy, slightly curly brown hair, and looked to be in his thirties, perhaps late thirties, Nick guessed. The hair was cut neat round the ears and shaved at the back of the neck, but a bit of a mop standing up on top. It gave him a sort of 1980’s New Wave look, sort of Tears For Fears meets Simple Minds, or the New Romantics meet Echo and the Bunnymen. He had the edge of a stand up comedian, full of zest and sparkle, but not quite PC. And the quips started coming as soon as the introductions were made.

    “Hi, I don’t think we met before,” greeted Hal.

    “My name is Everard, like the batteries!” He had a casual and friendly south of England voice, but Nick could immediately tell this guy had a first class memory and would remember every single word that was said to him, and would probably repeat it back to him in a comedy sketch. He was clever and incisive, but Nick was on his guard just in case he revealed too much about himself.

    “What sort of writing do you do then, my friend?” asked Hal.

    “I write comedy most of the time,” explained Everard. “Short stories mainly, designed to make me laugh, in particular, but I have had some good success. I have had plenty of hits on the writing sites, so the royalties have been coming in. Sometimes I like to throw in a bit of politics and social comment, with a touch of humour of course.”

    “So what made you want to come to Writer’s Island Everard, if you’re doing quite well already?” asked Tracy.

    “I like to keep it fresh you know,” explained Everard. “new experiences, new things to write about! I am always looking for fresh material. You never know, I might even write a few comedy shorts about the writers here at Writer’s Island,” he quipped.

    Nick thought, ‘Oh, no! I hope he’s going to write about us!’ But the guy seemed friendly enough, and he could already see that on this writer’s retreat there would be material in abundance, to draw upon, particularly for a comic writer.

    “And what do you all write?” asked Everard. “I am guessing some of you know each other already?”

    “You guessed right Everard,” said Hal. “We all met earlier when we came over on the same boat, although I would say we’re still getting to know one another.

    “I am Hal, Hal Martin. I wrote a fairly successful novel, the last two years, called ‘Prison Island’. It’s for sale on the internet, downloaded as an e book, or delivered as a hard copy. It can also be read in serial form for small fees on a couple of reading sites. I have come here to find my next big project, or continue the ‘Prison Island’ project, doing something related to the first.”

     “I have not heard of it yet, but it sounds good,” said Everard. “There are so many books and pieces to read these days! Pleased to meet you Hal. You’re from the States, I guess?”

    “Oh yes. You can tell?” said Hal.

    “Definitely, I can tell. Let me guess – New York? Chicago? New Orleans?” guessed Everard.

     “Nope, not yet, but you’ll get there,” said Hal.

     “How about – Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut?” tried Everard with humour.

     “No, but you’re getting closer,” said Hal. “It’s Pennsylvania actually!”

     “I am Tracy,” said the pleasant young twentysomething. “I do poetry most of the time, or short pieces with a twist, which make people think or shock them.”

     “That sounds interesting,” declared Everard. “I bet you throw a bit of comedy in there sometimes?”

     “Maybe if it fits,” she agreed, although obviously there were important messages which might not be too comic as well.

     “And you?” Everard asked Theresa, giving the other woman, with the black glasses and black hair, a chance to be introduced.

     “I am Theresa Sharp, and I am writing a murder mystery based on this island. I got the idea when I was here before, less than a year ago. I have been writing at home ever since, but I have come back to finish it off.”

14/2/20

    “I see,” said Everard, appreciating the intensity with which Theresa viewed her project. Hal was pleased that Theresa had come to the gathering, because she had given the impression earlier that she would not attend, as she had work to do and wanted to continue her project now she was back on the island where her novel was set. Nick too had been surprised to see her turn up for this, and he was not entirely sure he could handle her icy distance. However she was introducing herself to Everard in a perfectly normal way. Perhaps the island was already getting to her and loosening her up a bit. She certainly needed it, more than the rest of them, he thought. Although they all probably needed to socialize and make themselves at home before they could really write. An afternoon in her room had probably calmed and prepared her for this.

     “And you?” asked Everard, “What do you write?”

     “I am Nick. I have quite a few long stories on the go, and I do post to certain writing sites, usually in series form, but I do have a couple of completed books out as Ebooks and hard copy if ordered. I don’t do too badly. These days the royalty rules have enabled some of us to make a basic living from our writing. I write fantasy, and science fiction in alternative reality settings. I like to speculate about alternative histories or political and economic systems. That may sound a bit heavy to some, but I basically just write whatever I feel like, and see what it turns into.”

    “Great Nick. That sounds very interesting,” concluded Everard. “I sometimes do a bit of that, usually in a humorous way if I can. Is yours humorous, by any chance?”

     “Well not really,” replied Nick. “I take it fairly seriously, but I suppose I do often have a touch of humour or fun in it, in a subtle kind of way.”