Supporting other writers

 A few weeks ago I attended a new play in Camden as part of the their fringe festival. The lady who wrote it and acted in it is part of the group I call The London Writers Support Group. We have been meeting once a month for just over a year, and we were all part of Indie Novella Online Writing Course. 

This is a very supportive group, so when Ioana said she was taking her play to the Edinburgh Fringe, our group supported her in her crowdfunding. And then she told us she was putting the play on in Camden prior to Edinburgh, and I booked tickets for myself and a friend.

The venue had a bar/cafe at street level, and the performance space was down in the basement. It was good to see other people from the group too. The play entitled Goodness Me was funny. The play featured thirty-year-old Celeste, whose relationship had just finished. She is lonely, broke and utterly lost. Her life begins to unravel. Her only companion is Lulu, a snarky yet oddly wise Furby. As her guide, Celeste must navigate heartbreak, identity and the pressure to fix everything. Celeste is also a writer trying to get her work published, and the comments in the play really resonated with me and made me laugh so much.

How Ioana remembered all those words, I don't know. Not something I could do. I can't even memorise my own poems! It was a lovely evening, and we all had our photos taken together afterwards. I know Ioana still has to edit down the performance as the Edinburgh Fringe shows are for one hour, and this was longer when we saw it. I'm sure she will manage it, and I wish her the best of luck.

It's good to support other writers where we can. This can be by attending a book launch/reading, buying books and leaving reviews on social media and Amazon. Indie authors write some incredible books and do not get the attention traditionally published authors do. Readers aren't always prepared to take a risk with a new author. But they are missing out on some wonderful stories.

The performance space in Camden was packed the night I was there. Ioana had three more nights to perform and it sounded as if the numbers were good again. I hope the other nights went as well, and that the Edinburgh Fringe is a success for her. She told us that without our group she might never have got the play written. I was so pleased I could be a part of this.