ADVICE TO WRITERS
Even if it keeps you up all night,
wash down the walls and scrub the floor
of your study before composing a syllable.
Clean the place as if the Pope were on his way.
Spotlessness is the niece of inspiration.
The more you clean, the more brilliant
your writing will be, so do not hesitate to take
to the open fields to scour the undersides
of rocks or swab in the dark forest
upper branches, nests full of eggs.
When you find your way back home
and stow the sponges and brushes under the sink,
you will behold in the light of dawn
the immaculate altar of your desk,
a clean surface in the middle of a clean world.
From a small vase, sparkling blue, lift
a yellow pencil, the sharpest of the bouquet,
and cover the pages with tiny sentences
like long rows of devoted ants
that followed you in from the woods.
Billy Collins
Well done to the maggots who have just completed their six-week beginners’ creative writing course tonight. An excellent bunch of writers in all with so many interesting characters and stories. Watch this space! Congratulations is also due to last week’s bunch who completed their six weeks in beginners’ acting. A rowdy lot they turned out to be once they got to know one another! A great time was had with both groups and we look forward to the follow on courses as well as launching our new introductory courses in 
Act The Maggot is thrilled to have been invited to deliver a month of Creative Writing sessions to the longstanding writers’ group at 
Act The Maggot is delighted to offer a brand new Drawing for Beginners class this Spring. Want to learn the basics of drawing? Chill out and have fun in a beautiful room with no distractions, just pencil and paper. Sketch away in good company. Good for the head and the heart. Join us on Tuesday nights in Temple Bar, 7.30-9.30pm – April 25th to May 30th (€180). Limited places. actthemaggot@gmail.com to book your spot. 
Act The Maggot is thrilled to announce a new departure in our creative writing department. We are offering a brand new six-week course in 
Newsflash. Act The Maggot is offering a bunch of new, fun evening classes at the end of March and after Easter, 2017. Take a look around if you are interested in 
Did you know that the average person ranks fear of public speaking higher than the fear of death?! This fear could be hurting your personal and professional life. So many people share this fear and the only way to get over it is to face it. The real learning and growth occurs when we are outside our comfort zone. It can be tackled in a fun, frivolous and social way. Join the beginner’s acting class and get up there with everyone else, have lots of fun and meet like-minded people. If you want to know more about what happens in a typical acting class