Workshops for aspiring writers

Writer Hella Bauer is offering writing workshops at The Incubator early this year. Photo/Baz Mantiz Photography

The Incubator finds out what inspires writer Hella Bauer

You are a writer, what is your background?
Originally trained as a scientist, I have written all my life - journals, letters, emails and postcards in my personal life, and procedures, manuals, newsletters and web content in my professional life.

My first editing job was for a research publication funded by the Ministry of the Environment in 2002.

My creative writing journey began in 2005 with enrolment in a Diploma in Creative Writing. Much to my surprise, I learned to appreciate and write poetry in addition to non-fiction. I'd love to write more short stories and my intention this year is to finally submit some of the poetry I have written over the years for publication.

What inspires you?
People and their reaction towards the environment. I like poetry as a snapshot, you can express and describe a scene and its peculiarities in few words.

Who influenced you to become a writer?
Some of my favourite books are by non-English writers. Klaus Mann, a German writer born in 1906 who emigrated in 1933, first to France then the US. His writing, with its focus on integrity, cultural identity and the effects of emigration, were hugely influential.

Giocconda Belli inspires me with the beauty of her language. A prolific poet, she creates unusual yet effective images in all her writing. She is a Nicaraguan writer most famous for her semi-autobiographical novel The Inhabited Woman published in 1988.

Margaret Atwood and Barbara Kingsolver inspire me with the clarity and conciseness of their language and their dedication to themes that are close to my heart. PD James broadened my vocabulary.

Name a book you wish everyone would read
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. It's a short novella with gorgeous illustrations first published in 1943. Voted the best book of the 20th century in France and still selling two million copies annually, it's a delightful story with important messages - I've read it many times and will read it again.

You moved here from Nelson, renowned for its vibrant arts scene. How have you made connections here?
Nelson and its arts scene have grown with The World of Wearable Art, and later the Nelson Arts Festival, and their strong community involvement. The cooperation between the events, the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology and local groups encouraged the entire community to participate.

The Incubator is a wonderful hub to facilitate those essential connections; in this area are opportunities for Tauranga: to strengthen the cooperation between students, artists, established Arts Events and the wider community.

You are introducing a series of creative Writing Incubator workshops at the Incubator soon. What inspired you to do this?
Writing is an individual process that requires the input of readers, and writing workshops provide opportunities and consistency. A shared writing exercise produces a first draft. Every student has a different response to an exercise which reflects the uniqueness of each writer's style and type of writing. A first or revised draft shared and discussed with fellow students allows the writer to find out how others perceive this piece of writing.

Incorporating suggestions improves the revised draft. Through discussions every writer discovers strengths and weaknesses of their writing while at the same time learning from others and using editing tools that are useful in all writing.

Moving from Nelson to Tauranga I lost my writing group and realised how important it is to connect regularly with writers who love words in all their forms. Providing a series of workshops is an opportunity for aspiring writers who cannot attend a Polytech or University course, to find out if creative writing is what they want to focus on.

Can you give us an example of your writing?
Tongariro Crossing
The Italian Mama is lost.
In pink pants and
leather shoes she is
a snail amongst craters
and back packed youths
there is no house
to crawl into.
It's just one s l o w step
after the other
'How long
til I'm down?'