From the Inkwell, an evening of storytelling, was held on May 15 at Hespelers Cookhouse & Tavern in Niverville. Presented by local entrepreneur and writer Trevor Martens, the event featured 12 amateur writers reading excerpts from their creative works.
Featured writers included locals Josie Fast, Gord Armstrong, and Dawn MacDonald, among others.
Martens and his group expected to see family and friends come out to support the presenters, of course. If any members of the public showed up, that would be a bonus.
The turnout of more than 50 people highlighted the growing community of creative writers present in Niverville and its surrounding area.
“When I say it went well, I know that doesn’t capture my full feeling of how it went,” says Martens. “I said, you have to get your people here to see you because you’re really good writers. You have something to offer. And that night, all of them had their story good to go.”
For some, he adds, public speaking is a hurdle.
“A few of them have done public speaking, like Gord Armstrong, but none of them are really regular public speakers,” he says. “And they nailed it. All of them popped. They enjoyed it and the audience enjoyed it. I heard people say, ‘Wow, I enjoyed that.’ Twelve speakers is a lot of listening, but it went exactly as it should have, in the best way.”
From poetry to murder mystery to personal essays and prose, the event was well-rounded, well-paced, and well-received.
Presenting short excerpts from a wide variety of genres exposed the audience to many different types of literature they may not have otherwise sought out. The writers and listeners alike felt comfortable and engaged, resulting in supportive enthusiasm.
Martens says that he has been asked a key question: does writing need to be read by someone other than yourself before it’s art?
This event itself was an answer to that question.
“I don’t like the label of, ‘Okay, now it’s art.’ But what these people get out of just telling their story, the answer is yes. It’s not just an acknowledgement, like ‘Okay, I heard that you write.’ But ‘Okay, you have seen me now. I can’t exist in a dark room by myself forever.’ Once someone else sees you, and doesn’t run off into the hills after they see you, you get to feel seen and accepted. It’s validating.”
Martens says there’s something uniquely important about people formulating their experience and having someone else read it. He has seen people gain greater control of their lives—and some even experience a type of healing.
“They see themselves in a different light,” he says. “They can let some things go. Even if it’s fiction, there’s something true in there. There’s something powerful in that, in airing it and letting it out into the world. The feedback I get is, ‘This is so therapeutic.’”
Analeigh Novak is one of Martens’ workshop students who presented at the event. She’s an amateur author who works at a bookstore and writes fantasy fiction in her spare time. Although she didn’t know anyone else, she was inspired to come out from Winnipeg to join in.
“I am not a published author, and this was my first time sharing in front of a crowd of strangers,” says Novak.
When preparing, Novak says she spent a lot of time editing until she felt the piece was settled in its story.
“It was nerve-wracking to share it with others, not only because it was my first time, but also you hope they will like it and understand what I am trying to portray.”
Novak also felt the atmosphere of the event was special and brought everyone from the writing community closer together.
“It was extremely well done, especially considering it was the first of its kind for Trevor,” says Novak, who would like to see these kinds of events become more frequent for writers of all experience levels.
“It’s incredibly important for writers to have access to these events, as it reminds us that we aren’t alone,” she says. “We tend to wallow in our writings and failures, but there are a lot of us out there and we should really be celebrating our talents together in a positive atmosphere.”
As someone who is just getting started as an author, Novak would like others to know that it’s important to keep reading and to explore the different styles and genres out there.
She also recognizes the importance of finding a supportive community.
“Also, to connect with a community, whether it’s through a class, like I did, or an online forum. It’s important to not be afraid of asking for constructive criticism from the right people and listening to it.”
Martens says that he plans to organize other From the Inkwell events in the future, possibly in October.
