Dear Prisoners I am your Writer in Residence in Prison When I was five, they laughed at me in class. You see I could not spell ‘Egg’! I knew it was a three lettered word. I thought it impossible to pronounce ‘gg’ so I wrote “EEG”. It’s through mistakes like this we learn. In fact it taught me a most important lesson in life. It taught me that life was not always black and white but had many shades. These shades have made me an author and I love to help what other shades people write. So what can I do for you? Here are some answers to your probable questions. What form of writing? You chose! A diary or poetry? Unsendable letters and sendable letters? (I have a manual shredder for your use) Drama or dreams? Dialogue or mind mapping? Novel or story? Write your graffiti on paper not walls! Rhymes or blank verse. Letters of remorse. Letters to victims. Letters to Grandparents, parents, foster parents. So you want to write a poem, unwrap your RAP and dream of writing a best seller? Why not? Lets talk! Why Write? Increases self confidence Discovers and explores what you think Share experiences – good or bad Unravels thought-tangles It’s fun to see the word in print. It’s creative. “I hear and I forget, I see and I remember” Confucius Strange Rules Remember you can not write the wrong thing Forget grammar, spelling and logical forms of expression Trust your writing hand; let it write without conscious direction sometimes. Suspend your disbelief Remember writing is endlessly flexible. You can rewrite, add, subtract and fill in details. Feelings evidenced from all five senses. You do not need to share your work with anyone – a bin will be provided! You will enjoy it. Oh yes you will! We can explore together different forms of writing and make them meaningful to you. It’s an adventure for me and for you. If you are interested in meeting me and exploring the written word then, please contact me. Name…………………………………. Miller Caldwell - Author Miller Caldwell Mhcaldwell.btopenworld.com Author Former Regional and Authority Reporter to the Children’s Panels Former Branch President of the Scottish Association for the Study of Delinquency Former Branch Convenor of the Institute of Contemporary Scotland Past President of the Dumfries Burns Club Former educational social worker Former West African Missionary of the Church of Scotland to the Council of Churches in Tema, Ghana. Author of Operation Oboe – a historical novel Author of Have You Seen My …Umm….Memory – self help book on improving memory. Editor of Poet’s Progeny – a Scottish Family tale from the Bard to today. Working on The Adventures of Tache at present – a children’s book. Guest Speaker and Xaphoonist Biography, essays, books and pictures of Ghana and the Xaphoon website all on: www.millercaldwell.org and www.authorsden.com