Lit Soc’s Literary Lock-in: A writer’s haven

Rory Gallagher attempts to breach the writers’ block threshold at Lit Soc’s Literary Lock-in

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Last night I had the pleasure of going to one of the Literary Society’s Literary Lock-ins, a hangout session for those who write or are interested in starting. Located on the fifth floor of the Arts Building and running from 8pm onwards, a seemingly out-of-bounds secret society meeting was in reality, just a fun and open meet-up.

Upon arrival, we were locked in. Not literally – as security probably wouldn’t allow that – but figuratively (a mental lock, if you will). The format of the lock-in was refreshing; we would write in fifteen minute spurts of creativity and then take five minute breaks to chat and, if brave enough, read out some of our work. Most were too nervous to read out their writing, which was unsurprising given that this was only the second lock-in of this term. We were also given prompts to help inspire our muse, but if we already had something we were working on, that was perfectly fine too.

I made a couple of new friends there, and it was interesting to see how varying their writing projects were. Students were writing prose, poetry, articles, and one girl was even writing the treatment for an upcoming music video. I, myself, was working on a poem about the breakdown of a relationship, and the encouraging and passionate atmosphere allowed me to make some major developments in my writing. That said, it’s still a work in progress, since creative writing isn’t something I tend to indulge in.

The lock-ins are definitely worth investigating if you have any aspirations for becoming a published writer. It was pointed out to us by Ruth Atkins (Chairperson of the Lit Soc) that Sam Coll, a previous attendant of the lock-ins, has just had his book ‘The Abode of Fancy’ published. Some of the material found in his book was actually written during the lock-in sessions, so it’s clear that they can stimulate the mind of a writer.

Overall, I found that going to the Lit Soc’s Literary Lock-in was a thoroughly enjoyable and worthwhile experience. If you’re looking for that little push to get those wonderful words on a page, or just some like-minded writers to share your ideas with, the lock-ins could be just what you’re looking for.