The creative writing workshop
A' bhùth obrach air sgrìobhadh cruthachail
Let's have a look at this discussion. By the end of this section, you will have learned some valuable phrases that you can use in lots of different conversations.
Ceart, a chàirdean, chan e tidsear no òraidiche a bhios annam an diugh ach co obraiche, co sgrìobhaiche, mar gum biodh.
Right, friends/guys/folks, I'm not the teacher or lecturer today but a colleague, a fellow writer, as it were.
Ach càit an tòisich sinn, ma thà?
But where do we begin, then?
Nach eil iad ag ràdh gum bu chòir dhut a bhith a' sgrìobhadh mu charactaran, shuidheachaidhean no àitichean air a bheil thu eòlach?
Don't they say that you should write about characters, situations or places you know?
Gu dearbh, tha mi air sin a chluinntinn. Ach faodaidh tu do mhac meanmna a chur gu feum cuideachd.
Indeed, I have heard that. But you could use your imagination as well.
Agus … na tòisich seantans le naisgear mar 'agus' no 'ach'!
And … don't start a sentence with a conjunction like 'and' or 'but'!
Och, tha mi a' smaoineachadh gu bheil na làithean sin seachad!
Ach, I think those days are over/gone!
Bu toil leamsa a bhith a' leasachadh agus a' leudachadh mo chuid bhriathrachais!
I would like to develop and expand my vocabulary!
Deagh bheachd, a Mhàiri. Bu chòir dhuinn, gu sònraichte ann an sgeulachdan goirid, a bhith mionaideach, cuimseach is pongail nar sgrìobhadh.
Good idea, Màiri. We should, especially in short stories, be precise, accurate and articulate//exact(!) in our writing.
Dh'fhaodadh sinn dath a chur ris an dealbh—an sgeulachd—againn le bhith a' cleachdadh bhuadhairean agus ghnàthasan cainnte ann an diofar dhòighean.
We could add colour to our picture—our story—by using adjectives and idioms in different ways.
Sin e dìreach! An àite 'cha robh e idir toilichte' a chleachdadh dh'fhaodadh tu 'bha an fhearg air' ùisneachadh.
That's exactly it! Instead of using 'he wasn't happy at all' you could use 'he was angry'.
No dè mu dheidhinn 'bha an dearg chaothach air'? O tha seo a' còrdadh rium gu mòr.
Or how about 'he was furious'? Oh I like this a lot.
No a bheil e ‘a' toirt toileachas dhut'? Dallaibh oirbh, a chàirdean! Siuthadaibh!
Or does it 'make you happy'? Get on with it, friends/guys/folks! On you go!